t."

And with a complacency which the younger man found as galling as an
insult, the host turned and went into the house with an air of one who
takes for granted compliance with his expressed wish.

Indeed, his line of reasoning admitted no doubt or shadow of doubt. He
had construed Stuart's first refusal as a mere trick of intrigue,
cloaking under the appearance of protest a situation eagerly welcomed.
Refuse an uninterrupted opportunity to take to his embraces the woman he
adored with a guilty passion! Eben laughed to himself at the thought.
Does a hungry lion scorn striking down its prey? Does a thief repudiate
an unwatched treasury?

But when he had gone, Stuart turned indignantly to Conscience.

"You see, don't you, that it's impossible?"

"Why?" she asked, and in his bewilderment he found himself answering
excitedly:

"Why? Do you mean that, after last night, you would trust yourself here
... with me ... and no one else? Didn't we both admit that it was too
much for us--unless we separated?"

"After last night," she responded, and the fearlessness of her voice
utterly confounded him, "I would trust myself with you anywhere."

"God in Heaven!" he burst out. "Don't you realize that all strength is
relative? Don't you know that any boiler ever made will explode if you
give it enough pressure?"

"It's not a test I welcome either," she declared seriously. "But I do
believe in you now--and there's another side to it." After a moment's
hesitation she went on slowly: "After going through last night--and
after trying to face the future ... there's comfort in feeling that he
trusts me like that. I don't deserve it, but I'd like to ... and when he
comes back to-morrow, if there's one day more of fight left in you,
Stuart dear--I can."

His expression changed and he said dubiously: "It's going to be hard."

"Yes, but how can we tell him that?"

He nodded acknowledgment of the point. "There _is_ something in being
trusted," he told her resolutely. "If you can feel secure with me one
day more--I'll go through with it."

So Eben had his way and put his own damaging construction on the result.

"Good!" he announced when the visitor finally acceded; "I felt sure you
wouldn't leave me in the lurch. I'll drive the buggy to the train and
leave it at the livery stable until I get back--since we have no
chauffeur."

When Tollman had gone Stuart came to Conscience on the terrace. "You'll
be all right here for a while,