ver exceeded discretion in the
hours of his visits. He looked at his watch and rose.

'I may call at nine?' he said.

'If you really have time. But I can manage quite well by myself, you
know.'

'What you _can_ do is not the question. If I had my will you should
never know a moment's trouble as long as you lived.'

'If I never have worse trouble than going to the railway station, I
shall think myself lucky.'

'Miss Mutimer--'

'Yes?'

'You won't drop me altogether from your mind whilst you're away?'

There was a change in his voice. He had abandoned the tone of excessive
politeness, and spoke very much like a man who has feeling at the back
of his words. Alice regarded him nervously.

'I'm not going to be away more than a day or two,' she said, smoothing a
fold in her dress.

'If it was only an hour or two I couldn't bear to think you'd altogether
forgotten me.'

'Why, of course I shan't!'

'But--Miss Mutimer, I'm abusing confidence. Your brother trusts me; he's
done me a good many kindnesses. But I can't help it, upon my soul. If
you betray me, I'm done for. You won't do that? I put myself in your
power, and you're too good to hurt a fly.'

'What do you mean, Mr. Keene?' Alice asked, inwardly pleased, yet
feeling uncomfortable.

'I can't go away to-night without saying it, and ten to one it means I
shall never see you again. You know what I mean. Well, harm me as you
like; I'd rather be harmed by you than done good to by any one else.
I've got so far, there's no going back. Do you think some day you
could--do you think you _could_?'

Alice dropped her eyes and shook her pretty head slowly.

'I can't give any promise of that kind,' she replied under her breath.

'You hate me? I'm a disagreeable beast to you? I'm a low--'

'Oh dear, don't say such things, Mr. Keene! The idea! I don't dislike
you a bit; but of course that's a different thing--'

He held out his hand sadly, dashing the other over his eyes.

'Good-bye, I don't think I can come again. I've abused confidence.
When your brother hears of it--. But no matter, I'm only a--a sort of
crossing-sweeper in your eyes.'

Alice's laugh rang merrily.

'What things you do call yourself! Now, don't go off like that, Mr.
Keene. To begin with, my brother won't hear anything about it--'

'You mean that? You are so noble, so forgiving? Pooh, as if I didn't
know you were! Upon my soul, I'd run from here to South Kensington, like
the ragamuffins aft