Tony flushed and averted her eyes for a moment.  Then she looked up frankly.

“I haven’t said anything because I didn’t know what to say.  He is Alan Massey, the artist.  I met him at Carlotta’s.  He wants to marry me.”

“But you have not already accepted him?”

“No, I couldn’t.  He—­he isn’t the kind of man you would want me to marry.  He is trying to be, for my sake though.  I think he will succeed.  I told him if he wanted to ask me again next summer I would tell him what my answer would be.”

“He is on probation then?”

“Yes.”

“And you care for him?”

“I—­think so.”

“You don’t know it?”

“No, Uncle Phil.  I don’t.  He cares so much for me—­so terribly much.  And I don’t know whether I care enough or not.  I should have to care a great deal to overlook what he has been and done.  Maybe it wasn’t anything but midsummer madness and his wonderful dancing.  We danced almost every night until I sent him away.  And when we danced we seemed to be just one person.  Aside from his dancing he fascinated me.  I couldn’t forget him or ignore him.  He was—­is—­different from any man I ever knew.  I feel differently about him from what I ever felt about any other man.  Maybe it is love.  Maybe it isn’t.  I—­I thought it was last month.”

Doctor Holiday shook his head dubiously.

“And you are not so sure now?” he questioned.

“Not always,” admitted Tony.  “I didn’t want to love him.  I fought it with all my might.  I didn’t want to be bothered with love.  I wanted to be happy and free and make a great success of my work.  But after Alan came all those things didn’t seem to matter.  I am afraid it goes rather deep, Uncle Phil.  Sometimes I think he means more to me than even you and Larry and Ted do.  It is strange.  It isn’t kind or loyal or decent.  But that is the way it is.  I have to be honest, even if it hurts.”

Her dark eyes were wistful and beseeched forgiveness as they sought her uncle’s.  He did not speak and she went on swiftly, earnestly.

“Please don’t ask me to break off with him, Uncle Phil.  I couldn’t do it, not only because I care for him too much, but because it would be cruel to him.  He has gotten out of his dark forest.  I don’t want to drive him back into it.  And that is what it would mean if I deserted him now.  I have to go on, no matter what you or Larry or any one thinks about it.”

She had risen now and stood before her uncle earnestly pleading her lover’s cause and her own.

“It isn’t fair to condemn a man forever because he has made mistakes back in the past.  We don’t any of us know what we would have been like if things had been different.  Larry and Ted are fine.  I am proud of their clean record.  It would be horrible if people said things about either of them such as they say about Alan.  But Larry and Ted have every reason to be fine.  They have