"God bless her for the first part of her judgment," he laughed; "Tan is one of the jewels of the human race."
"She seemed charming," agreed Lola.
"I must warn you against her, however," he said with mock-seriousness.
"Warn me?"
"She's a born match-maker. She's always marrying her friends off and" he paused dramatically.
"And what?" she enquired.
"They're always the right pairs. Tan never makes a mistake."
"I really don't understand you," she said after a long pause, "or what you are going to do when—when" she hesitated.
"Oh, there are many ways of shuffling-off," he smiled.
"Suppose" she began, then hesitated.
"Yes, suppose?"
"Suppose you meant something to someone else, and that your shuffling-off, as you call it, would pain them, perhaps more than pain them, what then?"
"If you refer to Aunt Caroline, I can assure you that you are wrong," he said, with a laugh that even to himself sounded unnatural.
Lola flashed him a reproachful look, but said nothing. For some moments she remained silent, her head turned away.
"I'm sorry," he said contritely; but still she averted her head.
"Please don't be cross with me," he said, bending
