‘Does she love another man?’

‘I say, suppose.’

‘I dare say she does. I expect that’s it.—What an idiot I am not to have thought of that before.’ He sighed,—and refilled his glass. ‘He’s a lucky chap, whoever he is. I’d—I’d like to tell him so.’

‘You’d like to tell him so?’

‘He’s such a jolly lucky chap, you know.’

‘Possibly,—but his jolly good luck is your jolly bad luck. Would you be willing to resign her to him without a word?’

‘If she loves him.’

‘But you say you love her.’

‘Of course I do.’

‘Well then?’