"He made
me."

"I thought you seemed very intimate," observed Olga.

He laughed. "We are. I pulled him through a pretty stiff illness once.
The mischief was that he wanted to die. I made him live." A note of grim
triumph sounded in his voice, but he still continued to write.

"Was he grateful?" Olga asked.

"No. He fought like a mule. But I had my own way. It was tough work. I
crocked up myself afterwards. And then it was his turn." Max jerked up
his head. "After that," he said, "we became pals. He was only my patron
before; since, we have been--something more than brothers."

He paused. Olga said nothing. She was wondering a little why he had
chosen to make this confidence.

Suddenly he turned in his chair and enlightened her. "If you want to
know what sort of animal I am," he said, his eyes going direct to hers,
"if you want to know if I am worthy of a woman's confidence--in short,
if I'm a white man or--the other thing, ask Kersley Whitton. For he is
the only person in the world who knows."

The words were blunt, perhaps all the more so for the unwonted touch of
fiery feeling which Olga was quick to detect in their utterance. They
moved her strangely. It was almost as if he had flung open his soul to
her, challenging her to enter and satisfy herself. And something very
deep within her awoke and made swift response almost before she knew.

"But I don't need to ask him, Max," she said. "I know that for myself."

"Really?" said Max.

He stretched out his hand to her, without rising. His manner had changed
completely. It was no longer passionate, but intensely quiet.

She came to him slowly, feeling compelled. She laid her hand in his.

His eyes were still upon hers. "I can't marry you against your will, can
I?" he said. "It's not done nowadays."

She smiled a little. "I'm not afraid of that."

"Shall we go on being engaged, then," he said, "and see how we like it?
We won't tell anyone yet--if you'd rather not."

She hesitated. "But--if I go to India with Nick?"

He frowned momentarily. "Well. I shouldn't ask you to marry me first."

Olga's face cleared somewhat. This was reassuring. It might very well
lead to nothing after all.

"But," said Max impressively, "you wouldn't get engaged to any other
fellow without letting me know."

She laughed at that. "I certainly shan't marry anyone out there."

Max looked grim. "You will give me the first refusal in any case?"

"But I needn't promise anything?"