I + 

тАЬThen you canтАЩt love me!тАЭ + 

тАЬOh! but Vernon, I do. If youтАЩd only try and understand.тАЭ + 

They faced each other desperately, bewildered by this sudden rift between themтБатАФby the queer unexpected vagaries of life. One minute they had been so near that each thought even had seemed to be shared by the otherтБатАФnow they were poles apart, angry and hurt by the otherтАЩs lack of comprehension. + 

Nell turned away with a little gesture of despair and sank down on a chair. + 

Why was it all like this? Why couldnтАЩt things stay as they ought to be, as you had felt they were going to be forever? That evening at RanelaghтБатАФand the night afterwards when she had lain awake, wrapped in a happy dream. Enough that night just to know that she was loved. Why, even her motherтАЩs scathing words had failed to upset her. They had come from so far away. They couldnтАЩt penetrate that shining web of misty dream. + 

She had woken up happy the next morning. Her mother had been pleasant, had said nothing more. Wrapped in her secret thoughts Nell had gone through the day doing all the usual things: chattering with friends, walking in the park, lunching, teaing, dancing. Nobody, she was sure, could have noticed anything different, and yet all the time she herself was conscious of that one deep strand underneath everything else. Just for a minute, sometimes, she would lose the thread of what she was saying, she would remember.тБатАКтБатАж тАЬOh! Nell, I do love you soтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ The moonlight on the dark water. His hand in hers.тБатАКтБатАж A little shiver and she would recall herself hastily, chatter, laugh. Oh, how happy one could beтБатАФhow happy she had been. + 

Then she had wondered if, perhaps, he would write. She watched for the post, her heart giving little throbs whenever the postman knocked. It came the second day. She hid it beneath a pile of others, kept it till she went up to bed, then opened it with a beating heart. + 

Oh, NellтБатАФoh, darling Nell! Did you really mean it? IтАЩve written three letters to you and torn them up. IтАЩm so afraid of saying something that might make you angry. Because perhaps you didnтАЩt mean it after all. But you did, didnтАЩt you? You are so lovely, Nell, and I do love you so dreadfully. IтАЩm always thinking about you, the whole time. I make awful mistakes at the office just because IтАЩm thinking about you. But oh, Nell, I will work so hard! I want so dreadfully to see you. When can I come up to town? I must see you. Darling, darling Nell, I want to say such lots and lots of things, and I canтАЩt in a letter, and, anyway, perhaps IтАЩm boring you. Write and tell me when I can see you. Very soon, please. I shall go mad if I canтАЩt see you very soon. + 

She read it again and again, put it under her pillow when she slept, read it again the next morning. She was so happy, so dreadfully happy. It was not till the day after that she wrote to him. When the pen was in her hand she felt stiff and awkward. She didnтАЩt know what to say. + 

Dear Vernon. + 

Was that silly? Ought she to say Dearest Vernon? Oh, no, she couldnтАЩtтБатАФshe couldnтАЩt. + 

Dear Vernon. Thank you for your letter. + 

A long pause. She bit the stem of her penholder and gazed in an agonized way at the wall in front of her. + 

A party of us are going to the HowardsтАЩ dance on Friday. Will you dine here first and come with us? Eight oтАЩclock. + 

A longer pause. SheтАЩd got to say somethingтБатАФshe wanted to say something. She bent over, and wrote hastily. + 

I want to see you tooтБатАФvery much. Yours, Nell. + 

He wrote back: + 

Dear Nell, IтАЩd love to come on Friday. Thanks ever so much. + 

A little panic swept over her when she read it. Had she offended him? Did he think she ought to have said more in her letter? Happiness fled. She lay awake, miserable, uncertain, hating herself in case it had been her fault. + 

Then had come Friday night. The moment she saw him she knew it was all right. Their eyes met across the room. The world changed back to radiant happiness again. + 

They did not sit near each other at dinner. It was not till the third dance at the HowardsтАЩ that they were able really to speak to each other. They moved round the crowded room, gyrating in a deep-toned, sentimental waltz. He whispered: + 

тАЬI havenтАЩt asked for too many dances, have I?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo.тАЭ + 

Queer how absolutely tongue-tied it made her feel being with Vernon. He held her just a minute longer when the music stopped. His fingers tightened over hers. She looked at him and smiled. They were both deliriously happy. In a few minutes he was dancing with another girl, talking airily in her ear. Nell was dancing with George Chetwynd. Once or twice her eyes met VernonтАЩs and they both smiled very faintly. Their secret was so wonderful. + 

At his next dance with her, his mood had changed. + 

тАЬNell, darling, isnтАЩt there anywhere where I can talk to you? IтАЩve got such heaps of things I want to say. What a ridiculous house this isтБатАФnowhere to go.тАЭ + 

They tried the stairs, mounting higher and higher as you do in London houses. Still, it seemed impossible to get away from people. Then they saw a tiny iron ladder that led to the roof. + 

тАЬNell, letтАЩs get up there? Could you? Would it ruin your dress?тАЭ + 

тАЬI donтАЩt care about my dress.тАЭ + 

Vernon went up first, unbolted the trapdoor, climbed out and knelt down to help Nell. She climbed through safely. + 

They were alone, looking down on London. Insensibly they drew nearer to each other. Her hand found its way into his. + 

тАЬNellтБатАФdarlingтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬVernonтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

Her voice could only whisper. + 

тАЬIt is true? You do love me?тАЭ + 

тАЬI do love you.тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs too wonderful to be true. Oh, Nell, I do so want to kiss you.тАЭ + 

She turned her face to his. They kissed, rather shakily and timidly. + 

тАЬYour face is so soft and lovely,тАЭ murmured Vernon. + 

Oblivious of dirt and smuts they sat down on a little ledge. His arms went round her, held her. She turned her face to his kisses. + 

тАЬI do love you so, NellтБатАФI love you so much that IтАЩm almost afraid to touch you.тАЭ + 

She didnтАЩt understand thatтБатАФit seemed queer. She drew a little closer to him. The magic of the night was made complete by their kisses.тБатАКтБатАж + 