ife?"

"No, I couldn't bear that--but as his friend, Lucy, as the mother of
Jock and Hurry. Oh, no," I said; "I couldn't bear it, if--if you
weren't faithful to me."

"And you would be faithful to me?"

"In thought and deed."

"And we'd just be wonderful friends?"

"Lovers, too, Lucy. We couldn't help that."

And I kissed her on the forehead. And at that moment I felt very
noble, and that the way of life which I had proposed was a very fine
way of life, and possible of being lived.

"Then," she said, "John mustn't know. He must never know. It will
always be our secret. But then Schuyler knows."

"When I tell him what we mean to do, he won't tell."

And the first chance I had I told Schuyler. And finished with, "So
don't tell John, will you?"

"I'll see how happy Lucy manages to make him, first," said Schuyler.
"But if you think he won't find out all by himself, you're mistaken.
It's a rotten business all around."

And he looked at me with a kind of comical amazement. "Think of Lucy
carin' more for you than for Jock and Hurry!" he exclaimed. "I suppose
you regale her from time to time with episodes from your past
life? . . . Well, if I didn't think you'd both get tired of each other
before long, I'd feel worse. One thing, though, if I promise you that
I won't give you away to John, will you promise me for yourself and for
Lucy that you won't take any serious step, without telling me first,
and giving me a chance to try to dissuade you?"

"As there is to be no question of a serious step," I said, "I promise."

XXIII

Ours was to be one of the most beautiful and beneficial loves of
history. Almost we fell in love with our new way of loving. It had,
we felt, a dignity and a purpose lacking in other loves. To look each
other in the eyes, and feel that in a moment of strength, spurred by
pity for those who had no such love as ours to sustain them, we had
renounced each other, was a state of serenity and peace.

It added to the beauty of our renunciation that it claimed no luster of
publicity, but had been made in quiet privacy. No one, we thought,
will ever know; yet it will have been strong and pure, so that the
world cannot but be the better for it.

We delighted for a while in our supreme renunciation as children
delight in a new toy. And even now I can look back upon that time and
wish that there could have been a little more substance to the shadow.
It was a time of wonderful an