Mary smiled at him. To Aunt Isabella's quick eyes it seemed to be a smile of relief. "Oh, then you were with the General and Leila," she said.
"Yes. Where did you think I was?"
"Nowhere," flushing.
He started up-stairs and then came back. "I wish you'd give me credit for being able to keep a promise, Mary. You know what I told Con——"
"It wasn't that I didn't believe——" Mary crossed the dining-room and stood in the door.
"Yes, it was. You thought I was with the old crowd. I might as well go with them as to have you always thinking it."
"I'm not always thinking it."
"Yes, you are, too," hotly.
"Barry—please——"
He stood uneasily at the foot of the stairs. "You can't understand how I feel. If you were a boy——"