“No, I won’t forget,” she promised. “Only I’m afraid it will be rather dull for you. We haven’t got a hard court, but there are some golf-links quite near to us.”

“You’ll take me round while Stephen mugs over his book,” he said.

“Oh, I can hardly play at all! I’m awfully stupid at games, Charles.”

“Rot! I bet you can play well enough really. You’re so frightfully modest, that’s all.”

Aunt Anne met Wendell one afternoon when she came unexpectedly to see her niece. Wendell was with Elizabeth, having tea; Stephen had gone out to interview his typist.

Miss Arden was rather surprised to find a strange man with Elizabeth, surprised and rather disapproving.

“Oh, Auntie dear, how lovely to see you! This is Mr. Wendell. Charles, this is my aunt, Miss Arden.”

Wendell did not stay very long, and as soon as he had gone, Miss Arden asked,

“My dear, who is that young man?”

“A friend of Stephen, Auntie. I like him very much; he’s so energetic and cheery.”

“Does Stephen know that you entertain him in his absence?”

Elizabeth stiffened, inwardly furious at her aunt’s interference.

“Of course Stephen knows. I’m—I’m not a child, Auntie.”

“Oh, if Stephen knows—!” Miss Arden said, trying to feel relieved. But she mentioned the occurrence to Lawrence that night, and said that she hoped that it was all right.

Lawrence pooh-poohed her misgivings. It was only natural that his little girl should have men-friends. Why, her marriage itself enabled her to do so!

“Yes, but—I’ve wondered—sometimes—whether everything is—quite as it should be—between Stephen and Elizabeth.”

“Nonsense, my dear Anne, nonsense! I never saw a more devoted couple! All your imagination! And if it weren’t, I for one know Elizabeth too well to suspect her of carrying on an intrigue with another man!”

“Lawrence! How can yon? I never dreamed of such a thing! Only—sometimes—a friendship like that—isn’t very wise.”

“No one nowadays thinks anything of a platonic friendship,” Lawrence said loftily. “It’s perfectly usual and natural.”

Miss Arden rose to leave the room. But before she went she delivered a Parthian shot.

“I don’t believe there’s any such thing as platonic friendship,” she said flatly.