Then Sam's voice sounded close at hand:

"Why," he said admiringly, "it looks like lovey and dovey!"

"It is," said Valerie, laughing.

"You!—and Kelly!"

"We two."

Sam in his excitement became a little wild and incongruous:

"'My wife's gone to the country!
Hooray! Hooray!'"

he shouted, holding hands with Annan and swinging back and forth.

"Sam!" exclaimed Hélène, mortified.

"Darling?—oh, gee! I forgot what is due to decorum! Please, please forgive me, Hélène! And kindly inform these ladies and gentlemen that you have consented to render me eternally and supremely happy; because if I tried to express to them that delirious fact I'd end by standing on my head in the grass—"