"And do you renew that request?" said Christine.

"I do."

Christine held out her hand with the gesture of a queen. "And I very
gratefully accept your generous offer," she said.

"Well, heaven itself can't save a fool," said Mrs. Almar, and she went
out of the room, and slammed the door after her.

As she went, Riatt actually flung the hand of his newly affianced wife
from him. "May I ask," he said, "what you think you are doing?"

Christine had covered her face with her hands, and had sunk into a chair.
For an instant Riatt really thought that the strain of the situation had
been too much for her; but on closer inspection he found that she was
shaking with laughter.

"I can't be sure which was funnier," she gasped, "your face or Nancy's."

Riatt did not seem to feel mirthful. "Do you take in," he asked her
sternly, "that you have just broken your word."

"I've just plighted it, haven't I?"

"You promised to refuse me."

She sprang up. "I did not. I never said a word like it. If a stenographer
had been here, the record would bear me out. You inferred it, I dare say.