Vera turned quickly to her companion.
"Is it true that you are engaged to her?" she asked him rapidly, in a low voice.
Maurice hesitated. Morally speaking, he was engaged to her; but, then, it had been agreed between them that he was to deny any such engagement. He felt singularly disinclined to let Vera know what was the truth.
"People say you are," she said, once more. "Will you tell me if it is true?"
"No; there is no engagement between us," he answered, gravely.
"I am very glad," she answered, earnestly. He coloured, but he had no time to ask her why she was glad—for Helen came up to them.
"How interested you look in each other's conversation!" she said, looking suspiciously at them both. "May I not hear what you have been talking about?"
"Anybody might hear," answered Vera, carelessly, "were it worth one's while to take the trouble of repeating it."
Maurice said nothing. He was angry with Helen for having interrupted them, and angry with himself for having denied his semi-engagement. He stood looking away from them both, prodding his stick into the gravel walk.
For half a minute they stood silently together.