"And when my husband died," she went on, softly, "he did thank me in a most generous way. He had just received his fortune when he heard of my—trouble. He sent a wonderful cross to mark where my husband sleeps—and I could have afforded only a little stone—and there are flowers every week, even when I am far away, and there will always be flowers because of his great generosity."
Here was a background for the light-hearted young Justin which appealed to Bettina's imagination. "Why, how lovely," she said with her eyes shining; "he didn't seem like that to me. He seemed so—shallow."
"But he isn't," Sophie defended; "if it had not been for him and for Diana I should have lost heart many times—the world knows Justin as a rich young man, ready for a good time, but I know him as the Knight of the Tender Heart."
"How old is he?"
"Twenty-six. I didn't realize until I reached here that he was flying again. He does such dangerous things. I saw the aeroplane yesterday morning, and found out afterward that he was up—and since then my heart seems to stop every time I think of him in the air——"
With all the optimism of youth, Bettina tried to reassure her.
"He said last night that he was very careful. He wants to take me up."
"Oh, don't ever do anything so dreadful."
"I couldn't if I wanted to. Anthony made me promise last night that I wouldn't——"
She said it with a comfortable sense of her lover's care for her; "I'd rather ride any day with Anthony in his little car."