An awful thought came to her.
"Are you sure you aren't going because of me?"
"You? What on earth are you thinking of?"
"That time--when you wouldn't ask Lindley Vickers to stop on."
"Oh ... I didn't ask him because I knew he wanted to stop altogether. And
I don't approve of him."
She turned and stared at him. "Then it wasn't that you didn't approve of
_me_?"
"What put that in your head?"
"Mamma. She told me you couldn't ask anybody again because of me. She
said I'd frightened Lindley Vickers away. Like Aunt Charlotte."
Dan smiled, a sombre, reminiscent smile.
"You don't mean to say you still take Mamma seriously? _I_ never did."
"But--Mark--"
"Or him either."
It hurt her like some abominable blasphemy.