Both Dudley and Carrie looked startled as they withdrew their eyes from
each other's face. Then each sought the eyes of the other again as if it
were furtively. Dudley seemed, of the two, the more impressed by his
friend's words. He laughed with some constraint.

"Fanciful, very fanciful," said he, mockingly. "What likeness can there
be between a girl with a white face, fair hair and blue eyes," and he
gave a glance at Carrie which had in it something of fear, "and a man of
my type?"

Max looked at him, and then said slowly:

"It's not in the features, I know; it's not in the coloring; but it is
there, for all that."

"The young lady will not feel flattered," said Dudley, ironically. "I
will leave you to make your peace with her, and when I come back, in ten
minutes, I expect to find you both ready to start."

He had his hand on the door, when some thought seemed to strike him, and
he hesitated and turned to put his hand on the shoulder of Max. Then he
swung the young man round in such a way that his own back was turned to
Carrie. Looking steadily and with a certain look of affectionate regard
into his friend's face, he formed with his lips and eyes a final warning
against the girl. Then, with a nod, he went out, closing the door behind
him.