, not for a hundred worlds have confessed to a living
creature--the wondrous, incredible fact that even in her deadly
exhaustion Cassandra had understood, and responded to his love. Her
eyes had met his, her lips had moved, the tiny flutterings of movement
had brought her nearer to his heart. He knew that her spirit had
responded, and through all the bristling difficulties of the moment the
knowledge brought joy. "We will leave Lady Cassandra's name out of the
discussion," he said coldly. "You are not concerned with her, only with
me. It's banal to go on repeating that I'm sorry, you know that well
enough. The question now is,--how can we break off our engagement in
the way least unpleasant for _you_? It's bound to be unpleasant, but--
things pass! In a year or two you'll meet another fellow, and look back
upon this episode, and be glad that it came to nothing. I'm giving you
a lot of trouble, but I've not made a hash of your whole life, as I have
of my own... Think of that, Teresa, and try to forgive me!"

"I shall never care for another man while you are unmarried, and I
should be miserable living on at home, as Mary has done, year after
year, with nothing happening to break the monotony. So you _would_
spoil my life as well as your own. And what would you do living alone?
You are not strong. You said you needed a home. You'll have to leave
this place and go away among strangers. You'll be miserable!"

"Very miserable, Teresa!"

"And I shall be miserable too. It's senseless. Dane! will you do
something for me--to show that you really are sorry, and to help us both
to,--to get over this?"

"I will indeed, Teresa. Only try me."

"Then marry me at once, and let us go away together to live in another
place."

He stared at her, stunned, incredulous. Of all the wild, impossible
requests this was the last which he had expected. He could hardly
believe that he had heard aright.

"_Marry_ you? Teresa! You can't mean it. When you know that I love--"

She held up a warning hand.

"I thought she was not to be mentioned! Yes! I do mean it, Dane. It's
the best thing for you, as well as for me. Can't you see that it's the
best thing?"

"I see that it's impossible. Excuse me, if I'm brutal. If you could do
it, I couldn't. I should be wretched. I should make you wretched."

"You weren't wretched when we were first engaged! You chose me, and you
were satisfied, until this happened. If we we