It was not until late that afternoon that Darrow could claimhis postponed hour with Anna. When at last he found heralone in her sitting-room it was with a sense of liberationso great that he sought no logical justification of it. Hesimply felt that all their destinies were in Miss Painter'sgrasp, and that, resistance being useless, he could onlyenjoy the sweets of surrender.

　　Anna herself seemed as happy, and for more explicablereasons. She had assisted, after luncheon, at anotherdebate between Madame de Chantelle and her confidant, andhad surmised, when she withdrew from it, that victory waspermanently perched on Miss Painter's banners.

　　"I don't know how she does it, unless it's by the deadweight of her convictions. She detests the French so thatshe'd back up Owen even if she knew nothing--or knew toomuch--of Miss Viner. She somehow regards the match as aprotest against the corruption of European morals. I toldOwen that was his great chance, and he's made the most ofit.""What a tactician you are! You make me feel that I hardlyknow the rudiments of diplomacy," Darrow smiled at her,abandoning himself to a perilous sense of well-being.

　　She gave him back his smile. "I'm afraid I think nothingshort of my own happiness is worth wasting any diplomacyon!""That's why I mean to resign from the service of mycountry," he rejoined with a laugh of deep content.

　　The feeling that both resistance and apprehension were vainwas working like wine in his veins. He had done what hecould to deflect the course of events: now he could onlystand aside and take his chance of safety. Underneath thisfatalistic feeling was the deep sense of relief that he had,after all, said and done nothing that could in the leastdegree affect the welfare of Sophy Viner. That fact took amillstone off his neck.

　　Meanwhile he gave himself up once more to the joy of Anna'spresence. They had not been alone together for two longdays, and he had the lover's sense that he had forgotten, orat least underestimated, the strength of the spell she cast.

　　Once more her eyes and her smile seemed to bound his world.

　　He felt that their light would always move with him as thesunset moves before a ship at sea.

　　The next day his sense of security was increased by adecisive incident. It became known to the expectanthousehold that Madame de Chantelle had yielded to thetremendous impact of Miss Painter's determination and thatSophy Viner had been "sent for" to the purple satin sitting-room.

　　At luncheon, Owen's radiant countenance proclaimed the happysequel, and Darrow, when the party had moved back to theoak-room for coffee, deemed it discreet to wander out aloneto the terrace with his cigar. The conclusion of Owen'sromance brought his own plans once more to the front. Annahad promised that she would consider dates and settledetails as soon as Madame de Chantelle and her grandson hadbeen reconciled, and Darrow was eager to go into thequestion at once, since it was necessary that thepreparations for his marriage should go forward as rapidlyas possible. Anna, he knew, would not seek any fartherpretext for delay; and he strolled up and down contentedlyin the sunshine, certain that she would come out andreassure him as soon as the reunited family had claimed itsdue share of her attention.

　　But when she finally joined him her first word was for theyounger lovers.

　　"I want to thank you for what you've done for Owen," shebegan, with her happiest smile.

　　"Who--I?" he laughed. "Are you confusing me with MissPainter?""Perhaps I ought to say for ME," she corrected herself.

　　"You've been even more of a help to us than Adelaide.""My dear child! What on earth have I done?""You've managed to hide from Madame de Chantelle that youdon't really like poor Sophy."Darrow felt the pallour in his cheek. "Not like her? Whatput such an idea into your head?""Oh, it's more than an idea--it's a feeling. But whatdifference does it make, after all? You saw her in such adifferent setting that it's natural you should be a littledoubtful. But when you know her better I'm sure you'll feelabout her as I do.""It's going to be hard for me not to feel about everythingas you do.""Well, then--please begin with my daughter-in-law!"He gave her back in the same tone of banter: "Agreed: if youll agree to feel as I do about the pressing necessity of ourgetting married.""I want to talk to you about that too. You don't know whata weight is off my mind! With Sophy here for good, I shallfeel so differently about leaving Effie. I've seen muchmore accomplished governesses--to my cost!--but I've neverseen a young thing more gay and kind and human. You musthave noticed, though you've seen them so little together,how Effie expands when she's with her. And that, you know,is what I want. Madame de Chantelle will provide thenecessary restraint." She clasped her hands on his arm.

　　"Yes, I'm ready to go with you now. But first of all--thisvery moment!--you must come with me to Effie. She knows, ofcourse, nothing of what's been happening; and I want her tobe told first about YOU."Effie, sought throughout the house, was presently traced tothe school-room, and thither Darrow mounted with Anna. Hehad never seen her so alight with happiness, and he hadcaught her buoyancy of mood. He kept repeating to himself:

　　"It's over--it's over," as if some monstrous midnighthallucination had been routed by the return of day.

　　As they approached the school-room door the terrier's barkscame to them through laughing remonstrances.

　　"She's giving him his dinner," Anna whispered, her hand inDarrow's.

　　"Don't forget the gold-fish!" they heard another voice callout.

　　Darrow halted on the threshold. "Oh--not now!""Not now?""I mean--she'd rather have you tell her first. I'll waitfor you both downstairs."He was aware that she glanced at him intently. "As youplease. I'll bring her down at once."She opened the door, and as she went in he heard her say:

　　"No, Sophy, don't go! I want you both."The rest of Darrow's day was a succession of empty andagitating scenes. On his way down to Givre, before he hadseen Effie Leath, he had pictured somewhat sentimentally thejoy of the moment when he should take her in his arms andreceive her first filial kiss. Everything in him thategotistically craved for rest, stability, a comfortablyorganized middle-age, all the home-building instincts of theman who has sufficiently wooed and wandered, combined tothrow a charm about the figure of the child who might--whoshould--have been his. Effie came to him trailing the cloudof glory of his first romance, giving him back the magichour he had missed and mourned. And how different therealization of his dream had been! The child's radiantwelcome, her unquestioning acceptance of, this new figure inthe family group, had been all that he had hoped andfancied. If Mother was so awfully happy about it, and Owenand Granny, too, how nice and cosy and comfortable it wasgoing to be for all of them, her beaming look seemed to say;and then, suddenly, the small pink fingers he had beenkissing were laid on the one flaw in the circle, on the onepoint which must be settled before Effie could, withcomplete unqualified assurance, admit the new-comer to fullequality with the other gods of her Olympus.

　　"And is Sophy awfully happy about it too?" she had asked,loosening her hold on Darrow's neck to tilt back her headand include her mother in her questioning look.

　　"Why, dearest, didn't you see she was?" Anna had exclaimed,leaning to the group with radiant eyes.

　　"I think I should like to ask her," the child rejoined,............