We played a cautious game. You set about to win
my love as you saw fit, my friend, and am I to be condemned if I
exercised the same privilege? I was no more deliberate, no more
reprehensible than you. Am I more guilty of deceit than you?"
He gave a great sigh of relief. "You are right," he said. "It is my
turn to confess. I have known for many days that you are not Bedelia
Guile. We are quits."
She laughed softly. "I rather like Bedelia. I think I shall keep it
as a good-luck name. We have now arrived at the time for a profound
contemplation of the results of our experiments. In the meantime, I
have had no dinner. I trust that the Prince of Graustark has dined so
lightly that he will not decline to share my repast with me. It has
already been ordered--for two."
"By jove, you--you amaze me!" he exclaimed.
"Please remove that dreadful mackintosh and touch the bell for me.
You see, I am a very prosaic person, after all. Even in the face of
disaster I can have a craving for food and drink. That's better."
In a sort of daze, he tapped the little table bell.
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