"Can I have a few minutes with you, Austin?"
"A thousand," he said gaily. "What has gone wrong?"
"It is nothing to do with me," she said.
He looked amusedly into her eyes. "I know. It's about Viviette.
Confess."
"Yes," she replied soberly, "it's about Viviette."
"You've seen it. I make no bones about it. You can believe the very
worst. I have fallen utterly and hopelessly in love with her. I am at
your mercy."
This beginning was not quite what Katherine had expected. In his
confident way he had taken matters out of her hands. She had not
anticipated a down-right confession. She felt conscious of a little dull
and wholly reprehensible ache at her heart. She sighed.
"Aren't you pleased, Katherine?" he asked with a man's selfishness.
"I suppose I must be--for your sake. But I must also sigh a little. I
knew you would be falling in love sooner or later--only I hoped it would
be later. But _que veux-tu?_ It is the doom of all such friendships."
"I don't see anything like a doom about it, my dear," said he.
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