Publisher's Synopsis
"Mrs. Bellamy Druce! Rather a mouthful, that.""Is that why you make a face over it?""Didn't expect me to relish it, did you, Cinda?""I'm afraid I wasn't thinking of you at all, Dobbin, when I took it.""Meaning, if you had been, you might have thought twice before taking?""No fear: I was much too madly in love with Bel.""Was?""Dobbin!""Sorry-didn't mean to be impertinent.""I don't believe you. Still, I'm so fond of you, I'll forgive you-this once.""Won't have to twice. I only-well, naturally, I wanted to know whether or not it hadtaken.""Taken?""Your matrimonial inoculation.""I think one may safely say it has. I've grown so old and wise in marriage, it really seemsfunny to remember I was ever an innocent.""Four years--""Going on five.""It's seemed a long time to me, too, Cinda-five years since these eyes were last made gladby the sight of you.""At least, time hasn't impaired your knack at pretty speeches.""Nor your power to inspire them.""I'm not so sure. To myself I seem ever so much older." Lucinda Druce turned full face tothe man on her left, anxiety feigned or real puckering the delicately pencilled brows."Doesn't it show at all, Dobbin, the ruthless march of advancing years?"The man narrowed critically his eyes and withheld his verdict as if in doubt; but a corner ofhis mouth was twitching."You are lovelier today than ever, lovelier even than the memories of you that havequickened my dreams--""All through these years? How sweet-and what utter tosh! You know perfectly well yourheart hasn't been true to Poll--""Unfortunately, the damn' thing has. Oh, I'm not pretending I didn't do my level best toforget, tried so hard I thought I had won out. But it only needed this meeting tonight toprove that the others were merely anodynes for a pain that rankled on, as mortal hurts doalways, 'way down beneath the influence of the opiate.""Truly, Dobbin, you've lost nothing of your ancient eloquence. That last speech quitecarried me back to the days when, more than once, you all but talked me off my feet andinto your arms.""Pity I ever stopped talking.""I wonder!""You wonder--?""Whether it's really a pity you never quite succeeded in talking me into believing I lovedyou enough to marry you, whether we wouldn't all have been happier, you, Bel, and I.""Then you aren't altogether--""Hush! I haven't said so.""No; but you've had time to find out.""Perhaps....""And you know your secrets are safe with me.""That's why I'm going to say-what I am going to say.""O Lord! now I shall catch it.""Don't be afraid, Dobbin, I'm not going to scold. But I know you so well, how direct andpersistent you are-yes, and how sincere-it's only fair to tell you, the traditions of ourkind to the contrary notwithstanding, I'm still in love with my husband."For a moment Richard Daubeney was silent, staring at his plate. Then he roused with alight-hearted shrug and smile."And that's that!"Lucinda nodded with amiable emphasis: "That's that."