Closing her eyes she waited. When
the two men joined her Theo was--laughing. And to her overwrought nerves
the sound seemed an insult.
"Why do you laugh?" she asked sharply.
He started. "Why--I don't remember. Papa said something amusing. Is
anything wrong, my dear?"
"No." Joyselle stood in the light and she could see his face. It looked
set and a little grim, but there was a fierce light in his eyes.
She looked at him defiantly. Yes, she had done well; he should choose.
"_Eh, bien?_" suggested Joyselle suddenly, "why have you sent for me,
Most Beautiful?"
So Theo had not explained!
"Theo is very impatient," she answered in a low voice; "he wants me to
set our wedding-day. And--I have to make up my mind, you know--I thought
as you and I had talked it over before dinner, you would not
mind--casting the die for us."
There was a pause while Joyselle deliberately moved beyond the radius of
the light.
Theo did not move, but his immobility was the motionlessness of extreme
tension. He had not observed the discrepancy in her story, Brigit saw,
and was simply waiting.
It seemed many minutes before Joyselle spoke. Then he said briskly, "The
pros and cons are many, Theo.
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