Bandit Love

"I say, I've got a bright idea, darling," he continued, before Myra

could speak. "Let's solve the difficulty by getting married at once.

I'll get a special licence, and we'll set a new fashion by entertaining

a house party in the Highlands during our honeymoon. Even the boldest

man would surely hesitate to make love to another man's wife during her

honeymoon. What do you say?"

Myra pursed her red lips and wrinkled her brows in thought, and Tony

took her indecision to be a good sign.

"Say 'yes,' darling," he urged. "You know I'm most tremendously in

love with you and frightfully keen, and you will have no further reason

to feel afraid of Don Carlos when you are my wife."

"I'm not afraid of Don Carlos," snapped Myra. "Oh, Tony, don't be so

dense and exasperating! Almost I wish now I had never told you about

the tiresome and conceited creature's love-making... Besides," she

added, inconsequentially, "I don't want to get married yet, and if I

did marry you before we go to Scotland Don Carlos would pride himself

it was to protect myself from him, and it would be worse and more

dangerous if he made love to me as a married woman. Oh, Tony, my dear,

I'm getting mixed, but maybe you understand what I mean. I'm not

afraid of Don Carlos, but I don't want to give him any chance of going

about boasting that I am in love with him."

"I don't think he would do that, Myra," said Tony. "He seems an

awfully decent sort of chap. If you'd heard his explanation, you would

understand that he was really only paying us both a compliment by

pretending to make love to you. I do hope you'll see him, my dear, and

let him explain and apologise. I don't understand why you're so cross

with me, darling."

He looked so absurdly pathetic that Myra's irritation gave way to

amusement, and her lovely face dimpled into smiles.

"I'm not really cross with you, Tony, my dear, although I do think you

have made rather a mess of things," she exclaimed, and gave Tony an

affectionate pat on both cheeks. "It will be interesting and amusing

to listen to Don Carlos's explanations and apologies--if any... Oh,

yes, Tony, I'll see him, and I think I shall manage to take some of the

conceit out of him."

As it happened, Lady Fermanagh had an engagement that afternoon, and

Myra was alone when Don Carlos de Ruiz was announced. Myra had been

doing some hard thinking, and she was feeling sure of herself as she

rose to greet her visitor, who bowed low before smiling into her eyes.