was the maiden who had to be rescued from the ugly castle, and
Martin was the knight who performed the deed. And being a knight
with a tremendous sense of convention and a castle of his own full
of well-trained servants, it didn't seem to him that he could give
me the run of his house in the Paul and Virginia manner, which isn't
being done now; and so, like a little gentleman, he married me, or
as I suppose you would put it, went through the form of marriage.
It's all part of the adventure that we started one afternoon on the
edge of the woods. I call it the cool and common-sense romance of
two very modern and civilized people."

"I don't think there's any place in romance for such things as
coolness and common sense," said Alice warmly. "And as to there
being two very modern and civilized people in your adventure, as you
call it, that I doubt."

Joan's large brown eyes grew a little larger, and she looked at the
enthusiastic girl in front of her with more interest. "Do you?" she
asked. "Why?"

Alice got up. She was disturbed and worried. She had a great
affection for Joan, and that boy was indeed a knight. "I saw Martin
walking away from your house the night you dined with Gilbert at the
Brevoort--I was told about that!--and there was something in his
eyes that wasn't the least bit cool. Also I rode in the Park with
him one morning a week ago, and I thought he looked ill and haggard
and--if you must know--starved. No one would say that you aren't
modern and civilized,--and those are tame words,--but if Martin were
to come in now and make a clean breast of it, you'd be surprised to
find how little he is of either of those things, if I know anything