"And then, when he had to give that up as hopeless, he got Liane to ask me to give him a chance to explain; and of course, I could hardly refuse to listen. And he's been just wonderful to me ever since. Really, my friend, you don't know what a fine nature he has. Why! he wouldn't let Liane or Peter tell me a word about what he was doing for you, it was only today I wormed the whole story out of him, after he had brought me the good news."
"About your recovery. And when I think of how he took care of you, all those months, after that terrible motor accident, all the while you were out of your head and the doctors held out no hope you would ever be yourself again--when I think of the way he fought to save your mind--and won!--well!" Folly submitted in a voice of awe--"there aren't any two ways of looking at it: Morphy's a sportsman if there ever was one."
"He is," Lanyard cautiously conceded--"unique."
The young woman sat up with an indignant jerk. "Is there a double meaning to that?" she demanded. "Because if there is--I ought to warn you--you'll end by making me dislike you against my will. Oh! I know Morphy has his shortcomings; but so have we all. And I can't believe you so ungrateful . . ."
"But I would be the last man to deny that I owe Morphew a great deal," Lanyard was able to state with entire sincerity. "And some day--it is my dearest hope some day to be able to repay him as he deserves."
"That's all right, then." Mollified, Folly relaxed. "I'm terribly glad."
"Because I want you to like him . . . for my sake, you know."
"I begin to be afraid to ask more questions."
A small gurgle of vanity bubbled out of the shadows. Then Folly thrust a hand into the golden flood that fell through the windows beyond the settee. Upon her third finger a great cabochon emerald shone with soft, unwinking fire.
"It's the finest stone of its kind on this side of the Atlantic," its wearer declared, "outside of my collection. That is, it was outside till Morphy gave it to me."
"You mean--you can't mean you're going to be married--!"
"I don't see what else it can mean--do you?--when we're engaged."
"Now really, Mr. Lanyard! do you think it's polite to be so bowled over by the very idea that Morphy could have fallen in love with simple little me?"