dge now;
besides, he was no sneak-thief to fly from a cry. He burned with
resentment, impatience and indignation, but he waited stolidly enough
while the woman flew down the stairs to his side.

"Hugh," she demanded, white-faced and trembling, "what is the matter?
Where are you going?"

He moved his shoulders uneasily, forcing a short laugh. "I daresay
you've guessed it. Undoubtedly you have. Else why--" He didn't finish
save by a gesture of resignation.

"You mean you were going--going to try to swim to the mainland?"

"I meant to try it," he confessed.

"But, Hugh--your promise?"

"I'm sorry, Mary; I didn't want to promise. But you see ... this state
of things cannot go on. Something has got to be done. It's the only way
I know of. I--I can't trust myself--"

"You'd leave me here while you went to seek death--!"

"Oh, it isn't as dangerous as all that. If you'd only been asleep, as I
thought you were, I'd've been back before you knew anything about it."

"I should have known!" she declared passionately. "I _was_ asleep, but I
knew the instant you stirred. Tell me; how long did you stand listening
here, to learn if I was awake or not?"

"Several minutes."

"I knew it, though I was asleep, and didn't waken till the board
squeaked. I knew you would try it--knew it from the time when you
quibbled and evaded and wouldn't give me a straight promise. Oh, Hugh,
my Hugh, if you had gone and left me...!"

Her voice shook and broke. She swayed imperceptibly toward him, then
away, resting a shoulder against the wall and quivering as though she
would have fallen but for that support. He found himself unable to
endure the reproach of those dark and luminous eyes set in the mask of
pallor that was her face in the half-light of the hallway. He looked
away, humbled, miserable, pained.

"It's too bad," he mumbled. "I'm sorry you had to know anything about
it. But ... it can't be helped, Mary. You've got to brace up. I won't be
gone four hours at the longest."

"Four hours!" She stood away from the wall, trembling in every limb.
"Hugh, you--you don't mean--you're not going--_now_?"

He nodded a wretched, makeshift affirmation.

"It must be done," he muttered. "Please--"

"But it must not be done! Hugh!" Her voice ascended "I--I can't let you.
I won't let you! You ... It'll be your death--you'll drown. I shall have
let you go to your death--"

"Oh, now, really--" he protested.

"But, Hugh, I _know_ it! I feel it