[_Scandalised._] Oh, my gracious! I _beg_ your pardon.

[_She leaves him hurriedly and hides the box in the cabinet._

QUEX.

[_Quietly to_ FRAYNE.] Chick, she has pa.s.sed the souvenirs on to Miss Fullgarney!

FRAYNE.

[_Bitterly._] How like a woman!

QUEX.

Some women.

FRAYNE.

[_In disgust._] Pah!

QUEX.

Yesterday she was alluring.

FRAYNE.

[_Waving the past from him._] Yesterday--[_with a slight hiccup_] hic!

[_Turning away apologetically._] The heat in this room--

[_He walks away, as_ SOPHY _returns to_ QUEX.

QUEX.

[_To_ SOPHY.] Well, I must not detain you longer, Miss Fullgarney. But there is, of course, one point upon which I should like to feel completely a.s.sured. You have seen Miss Eden--?

SOPHY.

No; not since last evening.

QUEX.

[_Anxiously._] When do you--?

SOPHY.

[_Looking away._] I'm rather expecting her to pop in here during the day.

QUEX.

Quite so. And--and then--?

SOPHY.

[_Facing him candidly._] Your lordship told me last night that your little visit to the d.u.c.h.ess was a perfectly innocent one?

QUEX.

Absolutely innocent. [_Hesitatingly._] I fear I cannot go further than that.

FRAYNE.

[_Fanning himself with his handkerchief._] By gad, why not, Harry? We are in Miss Fullgarney's hands. [_To_ SOPHY.] His lordship went to her Grace's apartment solely to return some gifts which he had accepted from her in the--ah--dim, distant past, and to say adieu.

SOPHY.

[_Witheringly._] Ah, I knew _she_ was a double-faced thing; [_looking at_ QUEX _relentingly_] but p'r'aps one _has_ been a little down on _you_.

QUEX.

[_Meekly._] You have it in your power to atone for that amply.

SOPHY.

[_Half-feelingly, half-sullenly._] At any rate, you behaved, in the end, like a gentleman to me last night. And so--when I see Miss Muriel--

QUEX.

Yes?

SOPHY.

[_Deliberately._] I am going to tell her a lie.

QUEX.

[_With some emotion._] Miss Fullgarney, I--I--

SOPHY.

Oh, I said I'd do what I can for you. [_Uncomfortably._] And this is all I _can_ do.

QUEX.

[_Light-heartedly._] All!

SOPHY.

Just to give you a chance.

QUEX.