strange
passion. Fear was its dominant motive, Jerry's innocence its
inspiration. If he had crushed the breath from her body, I think she
would have died rapturously. But Jerry, it seems, tore himself from
her and moved some distance away, I think, his head bent into the
hollow of his arm, torn between his emotions. I would have given all
that I possessed on earth to have caught a glimpse of her face at that
moment. Flushed with victory of course--but passion--Bah! I couldn't
believe her capable of it. If she had been wholly animal I might have
forgiven her everything. But the impression had grown in me with the
minutes that all this like everything else she did was false--false
penitence, false contrition, false tears, false love and now false
passion. She was a mere shell, a beautiful shell in which one hears
the faint murmurs of sweet music, echoes of sounds which might have
been but were not. These were the sounds that Jerry heard, echoes of
some earlier incarnation in which spiritual beauty had been his
fetich. And now, he stood apart, broken, miserable.

"Jerry," I heard her call again softly, "I am not afraid."

That was it. I understood now. What she loved was fear. But Jerry
would not come back. I heard his voice faintly.

"We must go, Marcia."

"Why?"

"I have learned; we have no right here--alone, you and I. It's
what--what you accused Una of."

"But you and I--Jerry! Am I not different from Una? I have rights. She
has none. I've given them to you, and you to me."

"You will marry me, soon?"

"Not if you're going to be so--so--er--inhospitable."

He came forward quickly.

"You know I don't mean that. Would you have me less considerate of
your reputation, your peace of mind, than I am of Una's? I want you to
understand how deeply I respect you--that I want to treat you with
tenderness, with delicacy, with gentle devotion."

I heard her sigh. I'm sure if Jerry's back had been turned she must
have yawned. She rose and I heard her slow footsteps join his.

"How you disappoint me!" I heard her murmur and then more faintly:
"How terribly you disappoint me! To analyze one's feelings! To think
of conventions! Now! What _are_ you?"

"Marcia!"

I heard their voices fading into the distance and peered forth. They
were walking slowly down the path, away from me. I stirred cautiously,
straightened my stiffened legs, rose painfully, and then carefully
made my way farther into the forest, through which I