"But what have you done during this year and a half of truth and
freedom?"
"More foolish things than many crowd into a lifetime," she cried
ecstatically. "It would take me days to tell you of half of them!"
"Oh, then you mustn't," said the Prophet, glancing furtively at the
clock. "Had you come out to be silly yesterday afternoon?"
"Yes, I had--to be sillier even than usual. And if it hadn't been
for Sir Tiglath catching sight of me in the avenue, and then--Mr.
Sagittarius and you being in the parlour--"
She stopped.
"By the way," she said, in her usual tone of breezy common sense, "were
you living a double life in the parlour?"
"I!" said the Prophet. "Oh, no, not at all. I never do anything of that
kind."
"Sure?"
"Quite certain."
"You're not going to?"
"Certainly not. Nothing would induce me."
She looked at him, as if unconvinced, raising her dark, sensible
eyebrows.
"All Jellybrand's clients do," she said. "And I'm certain Mr.
Sagittarius--"
"I assure you," said the Prophet, with the heavy earnestness of absolute
insincerity, "Mr. Sagittarius is the most single lived man I ever met,
the very most. But why did Sir Tiglath, that is, why did you--?"
"Try to avoid him? Well--"
For the first time she hesitated, and began to look slightly confused.
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