led in his palm.

"Yes," she said. "If you're happy."

"There are troubles of course," he said. "But I don't care for Amy and
the rest. It's only father that matters. I can't discover how much he
knows. If I knew that I'd be much happier. We'll be all right, Maggie,
if nothing happens to him."

With a little frightened catch in her throat she asked him:

"How do you mean, if anything happens to him?"

"If anything happened to him--" she could feel his hand stiffen round
hers; "through me--then--why then--I'd leave you--everything--I'd have
to."

"Leave me! ... Oh Martin! No!"

"I'd go. I'd go--I don't know where to. I don't know what I'd do. I'd
know then that I must leave every one alone, always, for
ever--especially you."

"No. You'd need me more than ever."

"You don't understand, Maggie. I'd be impossible after that. If father
suffered through me that would be the end of it--the end of everything."

"Martin, listen." She caught his arm, looking up, trying to see his
face. "If anything like that did happen that would be where you'd want
me. Don't you see that you COULDN'T harm me EXCEPT by leaving me?"

"You can reason it as you like, Maggie, but I know myself. I know the
impulse would be too strong--to go away and hide myself from everybody.
I've felt it before--when I've done something especially bad. It's
something in me that I've known all my life." Then he turned to her:
"But it's all right. Nothing shall happen to the old man. I'll see that
it doesn't. We've only got to wait a fortnight, then I'll get him away
for a holiday. And once he's better I can leave him. It WILL be all
right. It SHALL."

Then he bent down to her. "You know, Maggie, I love you more, far more
than I ever thought. Even if I went away you'd be the only one I'd
love. I never dreamt that I'd care for any one so much."

He felt her tremble under his hand when he said that.

She sighed. "Now I can go back," she said. "I'll say that over to
myself again and again."

They stayed a little longer, he put his arms round her again and held
her so close to him that she could feel his heart throbbing. Then when
they had kissed once more she went away.

She returned safely. Jane opened the door for her, mysteriously, as
though she enjoyed her share in the conspiracy. Maggie sped upstairs,
and now with Martin's words in her ears, had enough to stiffen her back
for the battle.

The next move in the affair was on the following afterno