ictoria faintly, putting her hand on her breast.
'Do go away. Can't you see I've had trouble enough this morning?'

'I'm sorry,' muttered Jack miserably. 'I've been a fool. Vic, I've come
to ask you if you'll forgive me. It's all my fault. I can't bear it.'

'Don't talk about it,' said Victoria becoming rigid. 'That's all over.
Besides you'll have forgotten all about it to-morrow,' she added
cruelly.

Jack did not answer directly, though he was stung. 'Vic,' he said with
hesitation, 'I can't bear to see you go, all through me. Listen, there's
something you said this morning. Did you mean it?'

'Mean what?' asked Victoria uneasily.

'You said, if I'd asked you to marry me you . . . I know I didn't, but
you know, Vic, I wanted you the first time I saw you. Oh! Vic, won't you
marry me now?'

Victoria looked at him incredulously. His hands were still trembling
with excitement. His light eyes stared a little. His long thin frame was
swaying. 'I'd do anything for you. You don't know what I could do. I'd
work for you. I'd love you more than you've ever been loved.' Jack
stopped short; there was a hardness that frightened him in the set of
Victoria's jaw.

'You didn't say that yesterday,' she answered.

'No, I was mad. But I wanted to all along, Vic. You're the only woman I
ever loved. I don't ask more of you than to let me love you.'

Victoria looked at him more gently. His likeness to her brother grew
plainer than ever. Kind but hopelessly inefficient. Poor boy, he meant
no harm.

'I'm sorry, Jack,' she said after a pause, 'I can't do it. You know you
couldn't make a living . . .'

'Oh, I could, I could!' cried Jack clinging at the straw, 'if I had you
to work for. You can't tell what it means for me.'

'Perhaps you could work,' said Victoria with a wan little smile, 'but I
can't marry you, Jack, you see. I like you very much, but I'm not in
love with you. It wouldn't be fair.'

Jack looked at her dully. He had not dared to expect anything but
defeat, yet defeat crushed him.

'There, you must go away now,' said Victoria, 'I must go downstairs. Let
me pass please.' She squeezed between him and the wall and made for the
stairs.

'No, I can't let you go,' said Jack hoarsely. He seized her by the waist
and bent over her. Victoria looked the space of a second into his eyes
where the tiny veins were becoming bloodshot. She pushed him back
sharply and, wrenching herself away, ran down the stairs. He did not
follo