to-night I know I am in love. Oh, Valentia, I am so
glad!'

She could not keep back her tears. Her bosom heaved, and she wept.

'You are a woman,' he said. 'Did you not see?'

'I am so sorry,' she said, her voice all broken. 'I thought we were such
good friends. I was so happy. And now you have spoilt it all.'

'Valentia, I love you.'

'I thought our friendship was so good and pure. And I felt so strong in
it. It seemed to me so beautiful.'

'Did you think I was less a man than the fisherman you see walking
beneath the trees at night?'

'It is all over now,' she sighed.

'What do you mean?'

'I can't stay here with you alone.'

'You're not going away?'

'Before, there was no harm in our being together at the hotel; but
now--'

'Oh, Valentia, don't leave me. I can't--I can't live without you.'

She heard the unhappiness in his voice. She turned to him again and laid
her two hands on his shoulders.

'Why can't you forget it all, and let us be good friends again? Forget
that you are a man. A woman can remain with a man for ever, and always
be content to walk and read and talk with him, and never think of
anything else. Can you forget it, Ferdinand? You will make me so happy.'

He did not answer, and for a long time they stood on the bridge in
silence. At last he sighed--a heartbroken sigh.

'Perhaps you're right. It may be better to pretend that we are friends.
If you like, we will forget all this.'

Her heart was too full; she could not answer; but she held out her hands
to him. He took them in his own, and, bending down, kissed them.

Then they walked home, side by side, without speaking.

V

Next morning Valentia received M. Rollo's answer to her letter. He
apologised for his delay in answering.

'_You are a philosopher_,' he said--she could see the little
snigger with which he had written the words--'_You are a
philosopher, and I was afraid lest my reply should disturb the
course of your reflections on friendship. I confess that I did not
entirely understand your letter, but I gathered that the sentiments
were correct, and it gave me great pleasure to know that your
experiment has had such excellent results. I gather that you have
not yet discovered that there is more than a verbal connection
between Friendship and Love._'

The reference is to the French equivalents of those states of mind.

'_But to speak seriously, dear child. You are y