There was a long silence, then Esther raised her eyes to June’s anxious face.
Her own was quite colourless, and her grey eyes looked dazed.
“Will you––will you––read it?” she said faintly. “Please––I want you to––I ... somehow I feel as if I’m dreaming.”
But June at any rate was wide awake. It only took her two minutes to read Micky’s passionate appeal; the next she was laughing and crying together, and hugging Esther boisterously.
“Oh, isn’t he the most wonderful man? Don’t you love him? Don’t you just adore him? Oh, if you’re going to break his heart after all this, I’ll never forgive you!... Why, my George isn’t in it with Micky, poor darling!”––she shook Esther in her excitement––“What are you made of, that you can’t see what a king he is? I don’t believe there’s any blood in your veins at all,” she declared indignantly. “You haven’t got a heart.... Oh, Esther darling! I didn’t mean it––I––oh, I’m such an idiot!...”
And the two girls clasped each other and cried together.
“And now if this ridiculous midnight scene is ended,” June said presently, sniffing her tears away, “let’s talk sense. I’ll go and see Micky in the morning and explain everything. He knows what I am––he won’t be at all surprised––oh, I’m so glad––so more than glad.... Oh, Esther, why do you hide your face?”
“Because I’m so ashamed,” Esther said in a stifled voice. “I’m not worth loving––I’ve ... oh, you don’t know how I’ve treated him!”
June was silent for a minute, then she said gently––
“But Micky will forget all that––Micky never remembered a mean thing against anybody in his life.” She forced Esther to look at her. “Tell me one thing, and 300 then I’ll go and leave you in peace,” she coaxed. “Do you––do you ... you know?”