How he was thrilled by her using the word—the first time her lips had used it to him. It was none the less sweet because spoken without thought. She herself had something of the same feeling. She quivered in a languorous ecstasy. But she did not even blush at the thought; it had been but the natural expression of her feeling and she was glad she had said it. Their eyes searched each other and told their own eloquent tale.
"Darling!" he said, and bending over kissed again the rosy mouth that was pouted to meet him.
In silence he opened the door of the tonneau. She drew back.
"Must I go in there—alone?"
"I can't go with you, darling. I must sit in the seat to drive. Unless you would rather we had the chauffeur!"
"You stupid old … dear!" this in a whisper. "I want to sit beside you—as close as I can … darling!" She sank readily into the arms which instinctively opened.
True love makes its own laws, its own etiquettes. When lovers judge harshly each the conduct of the other it is time for the interference or the verdict of strangers. But not till then.
Athlyne took the wheel, feeling in a sort of triumphant glory; in every way other than he had expected. He thought that he would be ardent and demonstrative; he was protective. The very trustfulness of her reception of his caresses and her responsiveness to them made for a certain intellectual quietude.
Joy too was in a sort of ecstatic calm. There was such completeness about her happiness that all thought of self disappeared. She did not want anything to be changed in the whole universe. She did not want time to fly betwixt now and her union with the man she loved. That might—would—come later; but in the meanwhile happiness was so complete as to transcend ambition, hope, time.
Athlyne, who had made up his mind as to the direction
