If Hilda had been there she need hardly have behaved differently, and for a while Peter was wholly delighted.

Then it began to dawn on him that she was playing up to Langton, and that set in train irritating thoughts.

He watched the other jealously, and noticed how the girl drew him out to speak of his travels, and how excellently he did it, leaning back at coffee with his cigarette, polite, pleasant, attractive.

Julie, who usually smoked cigarette after cigarette furiously, only, however, getting through about half of each, now refused a second, and glanced at the clock about 8.30.
"Oh," she said, "I must go." Peter remonstrated.

"If you can stay out later at Havre," he said, "why not here ?" She laughed lightly.