hand upon her shoulder and forced her to
look up at him.

"Then we will forget it together," he said. "There was a mistake
somewhere--for I do not think you could have hated me."

Alice Deringham made a last struggle; it was a very bitter one, for she
realized the all-sufficiency of the love that would believe no evil.
"It is impossible, and it will always be," she said. "Will you not see
what I am, and how very different that is from what you think of me?"

Alton smiled gravely. "My dear, I want you as you are. How could it
make a difference whether you had done right or wrong--and I shall
still hold you blameless when I know everything."

Passion was once more kindling in his eyes, and Alice Deringham, who
saw it, rose stiffly upright, holding on to her last strength. Her
face was very weary, but there was something in her eyes which
restrained the man.

"I can bear no more," she said, with a downward glance at the long
black dress. "Have you forgotten? You have shown me what a man can
rise to, Harry Alton, but I will not wrong you further by marrying you.
Now you must say nothing, but out of pity for me go away."

The appeal was effective, for Alton bent his head. "I am going--but
there is nothing impossible, and I will come back," he said, and moved
slowly towards the stairway.

Alice Deringham watched him cross the garden, and then the last vestige
of the resolution that had sustained her melted, and she went very
wearily into the house, where, as it happened, Mrs. Forel was waiting
for her. The elder lady asked no questions, for she saw her face, but
drew the girl very gently down beside her.

"I am sorry, my dear," she said.

Alice Deringham let her head sink down upon her companion's shoulder
and sobbed aloud.

"There can be very few men like Harry Alton," she said disjointedly.
"And because I could not abuse his goodness I sent him away."

CHAPTER XXXIV

THE CONSUMMATION

It was hot outside in the noisy streets, but the Somasco Consolidated
offices were quiet and cool when Alton entertained two of his friends
there one afternoon. There is no special sanctity attached to a place
of business in the West, and nobody who knew Alton would have been
astonished to find plates of fruit upon the papers which littered his
table, and a spirit lamp burning on the big empty stove. A very
winsome young lady also sat in a lounge-chair, and Forel close by
glanced at her with a most unbusinessl