hery in both her liquid eyes.

And then a most embarrassing and unexpected thing happened. My wrath
fell from me, carrying with it all my smarting sense of humiliation,
and every vestige of the desire to humiliate or punish Mabel. I was
left horribly unprotected, because conscious only of the totally
unexpected fact that Mabel was still adorable, and that now, when
about to leave her for ever, I wanted her more than at any previous
time. Then help came to me. I heard a tiny footfall, light as a leaf's
touch, on the paved floor of the conservatory. I pictured the
listening Hester Prinsep, and pride, or some useful substitute
therefor, came to my aid.

'I'm afraid I've interrupted you,' I said, making a huge effort to
avoid seeing the witchery in Mabel's eyes. 'I only came to bring this
book for Mrs. Foster. I had promised it.'

'But why so solemn, poor knight? What's wrong? Won't you sit down?'
said Mabel gaily.

'No, I mustn't stay,' I replied, with Spartan firmness. And then, on a
sudden impulse: 'Don't you think we've both been rather mistaken,
Mabel? I've been silly and presumptuous, because, of course, I'm
nobody--just a penniless newspaper reporter. And you--you are very
dear and sweet, and will soon marry some one who can give you a house
like this, in Potts Point. I--I've all my way to make yet, and--and so
I'd like to say good-bye. And--thank you ever so much for always
having been so sweet and so patient. Good-bye!'

'Why? Aren't you--Won't you--Good-bye then!'

And so I passed out; and, having quite relinquished any thought of
reprisals, I believe perhaps I did, after all, bring a momentary
twinge of remorse to pretty, giddy Mabel Foster. I never saw her again
but once, and that as a mere acquaintance, and when almost a year had
passed.

XX

I have no idea what made me fix upon the particular sum of two hundred
pounds as the amount of capital required for my migration oversea to
England; but that was the figure I had in mind. At the time it seemed
that the decision to go home--England is still regularly spoken of as
'home' by tens of thousands of British subjects who never have set
eyes upon its shores, and are not acquainted with any living soul in
the British Isles--came to me after that eventful afternoon at Potts
Point. And as a definite decision, with anything like a date in view,
perhaps it did not come till then. But the tendency in that direction
had been present for a long while.

It