They sat opposite each other at the long table. Martin's father
looked down at Martin's wife, and his mother at the boy from whom
she had been taken when his eager eyes came up to the level of her
pillow. And there was much tenderness on both their faces.

Martin caught the manservant's eyes. "Don't wait," he said. "We'll
look after ourselves."

Presently Joan gave a little laugh. "Please have something yourself.
You're better than a footman. You're a butler."

His smile as he took his place would have lighted up a tunnel.

"I like Delmonico's," said Joan. "We'll often dine there. And the
play was perfectly splendid. What a lot of others there are to see!
I don't think we'll let the grass grow under our feet, Marty. And
presently we'll have some very proper little dinner parties in this
room, won't we? Interesting, vital people, who must all be good-
looking and young. It will be a long time before I shall want to see
anyone old again. Think what Alice Palgrave will say when she comes
back! She'll underline every word if she can find any words. She
wasn't married till she was twenty."

And presently, having pecked at an admirable fruit salad, just
sipped a glass of wine and made close-fitting plans that covered at
least a month, Joan rose. "I shall go up now, Marty," she said.
"It's twelve o'clock."

He watched her go upstairs with his heart in his throat. Surely this
was all a dream, and in a moment he would find himself rudely and