I felt sure that you would like her , Bill . we got on famously , he replied curtly , finding it next to impossible to discuss Betty like this . but tell me more about your mother , Kay . is all need for anxiety at an end ? you must have had a very worrying time of it , poor old girl ! yes , it &apos;s been anything but pleasant , she replied . naturally , I was very disappointed about not having this holiday with you , Bill . I &apos;d so looked forward to getting away with you alone . as it is , we shall only have a few days to ourselves , for I suppose I ought to get back to mother as soon as I possibly can . but never mind , it will n&apos;t be long before we shall be married , and then we shall be together always ! it was the first time Kay had ever spoken to him in such a strain about their approaching marriage , and , somehow the remark jarred on herself almost as much as it did on Bill . he said hastily - it &apos;s quite a long time to September , Kay . but the time will go so quickly , what with one thing and another . buying the furniture for one thing - will n&apos;t it be exciting , Bill , choosing just what we like ? you can n&apos;t imagine how happy and excited I feel about it all . Bill &apos;s heart smote him . poor Kay ! he had sinned against her , unwillingly , it is true , but nevertheless he had sinned , and however he looked at things , he saw pain for her in the future . he said gently - it - it &apos;s awfully decent of you to care so much about me , Kay . I &apos;m not really worth it , you know . you &apos;re the sort of girl almost any man would be glad and proud to marry . but , Bill , you are the only one I want to feel like that , she said , squeezing his arm , and feeling more reassured . let &apos;s sit here for a few minutes , shall we ? this boulder looks very inviting . it had to be the same boulder that he and Betty had sat upon so often . Bill gave an inward groan . he felt that the situation was getting beyond him . meanwhile , Betty , feeling wretched and unsettled , had collected her belongings and stowed them away in the suitcases she had packed so gaily before setting out for this eventful holiday . this done , she contemplated with dismay the solitary hours that lay before her , with only miserable thoughts for company , and yet dreaded still more the return of the other two . in the end she went to one of the cinemas and tried to forget her own problems by becoming absorbed in those of the people depicted on the screen . it was time for supper when she returned to the boarding-house , and after one anxious glance at the faces of the two lovers , she heaved a sigh of profound relief . it was obvious that Bill had been behaving himself correctly and that Kay suspected nothing . Betty forced herself to a display of high spirits and gaiety which she was very far from feeling , and in which she was assisted by Bill , who , by now , had reluctantly decided that Kay must be kept in the dark as much as possible concerning the wrong they had done her . Kay &apos;s unusual display of affection had touched his heart , even while it had increased his sense of despair and hopelessness , for Bill realised that all chances of making her a really good and loving husband were forever dead . after supper , they all three went on the pier to listen to the band , and if the sweet , lilting music woke Betty &apos;s heart to fresh agony , she gave no sign . it was only for a few hours longer that she would have to wear her mask and act her role . and afterwards ? shudderingly she acknowledged to herself that she dared not face what lay before her . sufficient to the day , she told herself drearily , looking at the sea , upon which the magic moonlight shone with the same radiant beauty it had displayed on the previous night , when it had so thoroughly bewitched herself and Bill . oh , how gloriously happy she had been during those few fleeting moments of time ! they were engraved upon the tablets of her memory for ever ; they marked for her the pinnacle of life - throbbing , emotion-packed moments , in which , for the first time in her life , she had seemed to really live . the contrast between that time and this was too sharp , too poignant . she longed to plunge into that silvered sea and swim and swim into forgetfulness ! to-morrow I shall be thinking of all this , she said . yes , Betty , and you &apos;ll be sorry you deserted us , Kay replied . we shall have to come here for our holiday next year and make it a proper one , she added , smiling wanly . chapter 4 . love &apos;s ordeal . next morning Betty bade them both good-bye and returned to London . for one long moment Bill held her hand and looked deep into her glorious brown eyes which held his world , and there passed between them that same irresistible electric thrill which had signalled the avowal of their love . then he had stepped back , without uttering a word , and Kay had raised her face and kissed her friend . a moment later , the guard &apos;s whistle gave its shrill warning , and the train started on its way . Betty felt a strange sensation as she looked out of the window and watched the figures of Kay and Bill diminish , and then disappear from view . she told herself that she would do her best never to see either of them again . yes , it was strange a sad sensation , and her eyes were misty as she sank back into her seat . so it was over at last ! all that now remained was for her to face reality with as brave a heart as she could muster . a little desperately Betty told herself that there must be other things in life besides love . she had been happy and content enough before she had fallen a victim to its magic spell - why should n&apos;t she be able to recapture that old , gay , careless contentment which , up to now , had been all she had asked of life ? I &apos;m glad that Kay will never know , she murmured to herself , as she watched the beautiful summer landscape fly past the carriage window . and again , late that night , as she lay tossing restlessly in bed , she murmured - yes , I &apos;m glad that Kay will never know ! even that cause of thankfulness would have been denied her , had she known of what was taking place at almost that selfsame moment between Kay and Bill . after supper , they had wandered , a little aimlessly , down to the water &apos;s edge , where once again the moon spread that shining track of silver light which seemed to lead to some far-away enchanted country . when they reached a deserted stretch of beach , Kay pointed to a nearby groyne . let &apos;s sit down , she said , and even to Bill , preoccupied as he was with his secret thoughts , her voice sounded strange . I - I want to ask you something , Bill . somehow , he seemed to know , without being told , what she was going to ask him . there had been a brooding look in Kay &apos;s eyes , and an absent-mindedness in her manner which , subconsciously , must have warned him , for he sensed at once that she discovered the truth . I think I can guess what you wish to ask me , Kay , he stammered . then - then it is true ? you are in love with Betty , are n&apos;t you , Bill ? it was impossible for him to deny it , for a moment or two , his lips refused to frame the words . but at last he spoke . please let us not speak of it , Kay , he said . it was Betty &apos;s earnest wish that you should know nothing of it . no wonder - she &apos;s too ashamed , of course , Kay returned hotly . that &apos;s not very charitable of you , Kay , in view of the fact that Betty has left here solely for your sake . do n&apos;t you understand ? she voluntarily gave me up because of you . you were not hers to give up , Kay retorted . anyway , she knew that my love was hers , Bill admitted , in a low voice . Kay closed her eyes . a sharp pang of pain shot through her at his words . Bill - Bill , my darling , you are not going to give me up , are you ? she cried . please - please do n&apos;t , Bill ! it &apos;s only an infatuation . it can not last - it can mean nothing to you in view of the long and deep affection we have felt for each other . Bill dear , my life will be completely ruined if you throw me over . oh , I could never face such a thing ! you are my world , my all ! this - this sudden infatuation you feel for Betty will pass . it can not possibly last , Bill . you have not known her long enough for it to mean anything to you . oh , Bill dear , Kay pleaded in a broken voice , please do n&apos;t throw me over after all this time , for the sake of a girl you have hardly known for a week ! such impassioned words , coming from the usually calm , reserved Kay , went straight to Bill &apos;s heart . he could not bear to see her humbled thus before him - this girl who had promised to be his wife and to whom he owed fidelity and respect and love . of course I &apos;m not going to throw you over , Kay , dear , he said quickly . why , Betty would n&apos;t hear of such a thing . that &apos;s why she has gone away , as I &apos;ve already told you . she refuses to have anything more to do with me . she has behaved very nobly , Kay . listen , my dear , I asked you to marry me , did n&apos;t I ? and I &apos;m going to do my very best to make you happy . over her bent head , Bill &apos;s eyes were fixed in misery on a fast vanishing hope of ultimate happiness . Betty was right . Kay must not be forsaken ; for decency &apos;s sake he must keep his pledged word to her . the sound of Kay &apos;s quiet weeping came to him , and resolutely he set himself to ease her injured feelings . do n&apos;t cry , darling , he said . you are right ; all this unhappiness will pass . it will seem like some vanished dream from which we have awakened to reality once more . you will try to forgive me , will n&apos;t you , Kay dear ? it all happened before I was really aware of it . believe me , Kay , I &apos;m just as fond of you as ever I was - yes , just as fond of you , my darling . Kay longed , but did not dare , to ask him if he cared more for her than he did for Betty , but she knew the desolate answer to that question . instead she said - of course I shall forgive you , Bill , fully and freely . Betty is a very attractive girl and no doubt she took advantage of the close proximity into which you were thrown . anyway , let us never speak of it again , Bill - let it be buried and forgotten for ever . it shall be as you wish , Kay , he answered , but more coldly , for he strongly resented the injustice she was doing to Betty . let &apos;s go somewhere and find a sherry , shall we ? he added . it may cheer us up a bit . yes , and we &apos;ll drink to our future happiness , Bill ! she answered , raising her face to his for a kiss . but of all this Betty knew nothing , of course . the days went by slowly and wearily . she was longing for the time to come for her to return to the office . her parents had gone to Wales to visit an aged aunt , and most of Betty &apos;s pals were equally inaccessible , so that for a time solitude was her portion . she had plenty of leisure to dwell upon those vanished days spent with the man she loved - days of golden sunshine and music and utter happiness . the knowledge that she might never see Bill again was very bitter to her , but it could n&apos;t be helped . 