crifice for me.
You're always asking for it."

"Thank you, Mr. Mavering," said Alice, "for reminding me of it; nothing
is sacred to you, it seems. I can't say that you have ever sought any
opportunities of self-sacrifice."

"I wasn't allowed time to do so; they were always presented."

"Thank you again, Mr. Mavering. All this is quite a revelation. I'm glad
to know how you really felt about things that you seemed so eager for."

"Alice, you know that I would do anything for you!" cried Dan, rueing
his precipitate words.

"Yes; that's what you've repeatedly told me. I used to believe it."

"And I always believed what you said. You said at the picnic that day
that you thought I would like to live at Ponkwasset Falls if my business
was there--"

"That is not the point!"

"And now you quarrel with me because my mother wishes me to do so."

Alice merely said: "I don't know why I stand here allowing you to
intimidate me in my father's house. I demand that you shall stand aside
and let me pass."

"I'll not oblige you to leave the room," said Dan. "I will go. But if I
go, you will understand that I don't come back."

"I hope that," said the girl.

"Very well. Good morning, Miss Pasmer."

She inclined her head slightly in acknowledgment of his bow, and he
whirled out of the room and down the dim narrow passageway into the arms
of Mrs. Pasmer, who had resisted as long as she could her curiosity to
know what the angry voices of himself and Alice meant.

"O Mr. Mavering, is it you?" she buzzed; and she flung aside one
pretence for another in adding, "Couldn't Alice make you stay to
breakfast?"

Dan felt a rush of tenderness in his heart at the sound of the kind,
humbugging little voice. "No, thank you, Mrs. Pasmer, I couldn't stay,
thank you. I--I thank you very much. I--good-bye, Mrs. Pasmer." He wrung
her hand, and found his way out of the apartment door, leaving her to
clear up the mystery of his flight and his broken words as she could.

"Alice," she said, as she entered the room, where the girl had remained,
"what have you been doing now?"

"Oh, nothing," she said, with a remnant of her scorn for Dan qualifying
her tone and manner to her mother. "I've dismissed Mr. Mavering."

"Then you want him to come to lunch?" asked her mother. "I should advise
him to refuse."

"I don't think he'd accept," said Alice. Then, as Mrs. Pasmer stood
in the door, preventing her egress, as Dan had done before, she asked
m