rkworth, beside her, was conscious first of amazement, then of a kind
of repulsion--a kind of fear--till all else was lost in a hurry of joy
and gratitude.

The tears stood on his cheek. "Julie, you shame me--you trample me into
the earth!"

He tried to gather her in his arms, but she resisted, Caresses were not
what those eyes demanded--eyes feverishly bright with the memory of her
own past dreams, Presently, indeed, she withdrew herself from him. She
rose and closed the window; she put the lamp in another place; she
brought her rebellious hair into order.

"We must not be so mad," she said, with a quivering smile, as she again
seated herself, but at some distance from him. "You see, for me the
great question is "--her voice became low and rapid--"What am I going to
do with the future? For you it is all plain. We part to-night. You have
your career, your marriage. I withdraw from your life--absolutely.
But for me--"

She paused. It was the manner of one trying to see her way in the dark.

"Your social gifts," said Warkworth, in agitation, "your friends,
Julie--these will occupy your mind. Then, of course, you will, you must
marry! Oh, you'll soon forget me, Julie! I pray you may!"

"My social gifts?" she repeated, disregarding the rest of his speech. "I
have told you already they have broken down. Society sides with Lady
Henry. I am to be made to know my place--I do know it!"

"The Duchess will fight for you."

She laughed.

"The Duke won't let her--nor shall I."

"You'll marry," he repeated, with emotion. "You'll find some one worthy
of you--some one who will give you the great position for which you
were born."

"I could have it at any moment," she said, looking him quietly in the
eyes.

Warkworth drew back, conscious of a disagreeable shock. He had been
talking in generalities, giving away the future with that fluent
prodigality, that easy prophecy which costs so little. What did
she mean?

"_Delafield?"_ he cried.

And he waited for her reply--which lingered--in a tense and growing
eagerness. The notion had crossed his mind once or twice during the
winter, only to be dismissed as ridiculous. Then, on the occasion of
their first quarrel, when Julie had snubbed him in Delafield's presence
and to Delafield's advantage, he had been conscious of a momentary
alarm. But Julie, who on that one and only occasion had paraded her
intimacy with Delafield, thenceforward said not a word of him, and
Warkworth'