His throat dried as if someone had cut the air supply to his windpipe. Babs gathered her skirts and walked away? Followed by Violetta? Babs? How convenient if Babs married Baxby, saving him from ever worrying about that tiresome institution again. Why the blazes hadn't he thought of that before tonight? Marriage was what Babs wanted. Now he saw her, it was what he wanted too. It didn't have to be to him.

And if her cart-horseship bolted down the stairs, bawling her eyes out, ...