roof. Her mother, her father, everyone
would demand of her, however, that she give the dishonest one up as a
possibility. Even in his vehemence he lost no delicacy of touch. Why
should she chain herself to an impossibility? It would but ruin the man
she professed to regard.

The banker made no threat, but Allis shuddered. She knew. The
narrow-lidded eyes had closed perceptibly when their owner talked of the
alternative. He, Crane, loved her--she felt that was true. He was rich;
for her father, for her brother, for herself, even for Mortimer, he
would use his wealth. He pleaded his cause like a strong man, and when
he spoke of failure because of her preference for Mortimer, an acridity
crept into his voice that meant relentless prosecution.

She could not hold this full power over Crane without feeling its value.
To pledge herself to him as wife was impossible; she could not do it;
she would not. Fate played into his hands without doubt, but Fate was
not Providence. A decree of this sort, iniquitous, was not a higher
command, else she would not feel utter abhorrence of the alliance.
Paradoxically the more vehemently Crane's love obtruded itself the more
obnoxious it became; it was something quite distinct from the man's own
personality. She did not detest him individually, for the honesty of
his love impressed her; mentally she separated Crane from his affection,
anal while rejecting his love absolutely as a compelling factor,
appealed to him as a man having regard for her, a woman he believed in.

It was a most delicate cleavage, yet unerringly she attained to its
utmost point of discrimination. Perhaps it was the strength of her
love for Mortimer that enabled her to view so calmly this passionate
declaration. A year before, unsophisticated as she had been, it would
have thrown her into an agitated confusion, but she was developing
rapidly; responsibility had tempered fine the great will power which was
hers in such a marked degree.

"I am sorry, Mr. Crane," she began, conventionally enough, "I am, sorry;
I couldn't marry a man without loving him. What you have just told me
must win regard for you, because I know that you feel strongly, and I
think any woman should take an offer of honest love as the greatest of
all compliments."

"But I don't even ask for your love now," he interrupted.

"Ah, but you should. You shouldn't marry a woman unless she loves you.
At any rate I feel that way about it. Of course, if ther