little group she could see what marriage with Olivia in her new
conditions--the horrible, tragic conditions that would arise if Peter
could do nothing--would mean for him. She weighed her words, therefore,
with an exactness such as she had not displayed since her early days
among the Sussex Rangers, measuring the little more and the little less
as in an apothecary's balances.

"You see," Olivia said, trying to sound her friend's ideas, "from one
point of view I scarcely know him."

"You know him well enough to be in love with him." Drusilla felt that
that committed her to nothing.

"That doesn't imply much--not necessarily, that is. You can be in love
with people and scarcely know them at all. And it often happens that if
you knew them better you wouldn't be in love with them."

"And you know him well enough to be sure that he'll want to do
everything right."

"Oh yes; I'm quite sure of that. I'm only uncertain that--everything
right--would satisfy me."

Drusilla reflected. "I see what you mean. And, of course, you want to
do--everything right--yourself."

Olivia glanced up obliquely under her lashes.

"I see what _you_ mean, too."