cting you--afraid that you wouldn't
come."

"I believe that I would have come," he answered quite fiercely, "even
if I hadn't had the note--I was determined to see you to-night some
way. But you know, Maggie, it had better be for the last time ..."

"No," she said, whispering, "it's the first time."

"Let's sit down here," he said. "We're alone all right."

There was no seat near them. The trees made a cave of black above them,
and in front of them the grass swept like a grey beach into mist. There
was no sound save a distant whirr like the hum of a top that died to a
whisper and then was lashed by some infuriated god to activity again.

They sat close together on the bench. She felt his arm move out as
though he would embrace her, then suddenly he drew back.

"No," he said, "until we've talked this out we've got to be like
strangers. We can't go on, you know, Maggie, and it's no use your
saying we can."

She pressed her hands tightly together. "I can convince him better,"
she thought to herself, "if I'm very quiet and matter-of-fact." So,
speaking very calmly and not looking at him, she went on:

"But, Martin, you promised last time that it would depend on me ... You
said that if I didn't mind your being married and was willing to take
risks that we would go on together. Well, I've thought all about it and
I know that I'd rather be miserable with you than happy with any one
else. But then I shouldn't be miserable. You seem to think you could
make me miserable just as soon as you like. But that depends on myself.
If I don't want to be miserable nobody can make me be." She paused. He
moved a little closer and suddenly took her hand.

She drew it away and went on:

"Don't think I'm inexperienced about this, Martin. You say I know
nothing about men. Perhaps I don't. But I know myself. I know what I
want, and I can look after myself. However badly you treated me, it
would be you that I was with all the time."

"No, no, Maggie," he answered, speaking rapidly and as though he were
fiercely protesting against some one. "It isn't that at all. You say
you know yourself--but then I know myself. It isn't only that I'm a
rotten fellow. It is that I seem to bring a curse on every one I'm fond
of. I love my father, and I've come back and made him miserable. It's
always like that. And if I made you miserable it would be the worst
thing I ever did ... I don't even know whether I love you. If I do it's
different from any lo