But you speak with the tongue of an angel, whereas Doria, I'm afraid, is still earth-bound." The tear fell with a laugh.

She touched my cheek with her hand.
"When you're intelligent like that," she said, "I really love you." For a mere man to be certified by Barbara as intelligent is praise indeed.
"I wonder," she said, a little later, "whether those two are going to be happy ?" "As happy," said I, "as a mutual admiration society of two people can possibly be." She rebuked me for a tinge of cynicism in my estimate.

They were both of them dears and the marriage was genuine Heaven-made goods.

I avowed absolute agreement.
"But what would have happened," she said reflectively, "if Jaffery had come along first and there had been no question of Adrian.

Would they have been happy ?" Then I found my opportunity.