answering you. I've had my dream like the rest of the world. But it
was very soon over. I never seriously deluded myself into the belief that
anyone could care to marry a shrimp like me."

"Oh, Scott!" Almost fiercely Dinah cut him short. "How can you--you of
all people--say a thing like that?"

Scott looked at her quizzically for a moment. "I should have thought I
was the one person who could say it," he observed.

Dinah turned from him sharply. Her hands were clenched. "Oh no! Oh no!"
she said incoherently. "It's not right! It's not fair! You--you--Mr.
Greatheart!" Quite suddenly, as if the utterance of the name were too
much for her, she broke down, covered her face, and wept.

"Dinah!" said Scott.

He came to her and took her very gently by the arm. Dinah's shoulders
were shaking. She could not lift her face.

"Why--why shouldn't your dream come true too?" she sobbed. "You--who help
everybody--to get what they want!"

"My dear," Scott said, "my dream is over. Don't you grieve on my account!
God knows I'm not grieving for myself." His voice was low, but very
steadfast.

"You wouldn't!" said Dinah.

"No; because it's futile, unnecessary, a waste of time. I've other things
to do--plenty of other things." Scott braced himself with the words, as
one who manfully lifts a burden. "Cheer up, Dinah! I didn't mean to make
you sad."

"But--but--are you sure--quite sure--she didn't care?" faltered Dinah,
rubbing her eyes woefully.

"Quite sure," said Scott, with decision.

Dinah threw him a sudden, flashing glance of indignation. "Then she was a
donkey, Scott, a fool--an idiot!" she declared, with trembling vehemence.
"I'd like--oh, how I'd like--to tell her so."

Scott was smiling, his own, whimsical smile. "Yes, wouldn't you?" he
said. "And it's awfully nice of you to say so. But do you know, you're
quite wrong. She wasn't any of those things. On the other hand, I was all
three. But where's the use of talking? It's over, and a good thing too!"

Dinah slipped a quivering hand over his. "We'll always be friends, won't
we, Scott?" she said tremulously.

"Always," said Scott.

She squeezed his hand hard, and in response his fingers pressed her arm.
His steady eyes looked straight into hers.

And in the silence, there came to Dinah a queer stirring of
uncertainty,--the uncertainty of one who just begins to suspect that he
is on the wrong road.

The moment passed, and they talked again of lighter things, but