and I knew it would only make you cross."

"How did he make love to you?" demanded Merryon.

He tried to see her face, but she hid it resolutely against him. "Don't,
Billikins! It doesn't matter now."

"It does matter," he said, sternly.

Puck was silent.

Merryon continued inexorably. "I suppose it was your own fault. You led
him on."

She gave a little nervous laugh against his breast. "I never meant to,
Billikins. I--I don't much like men--as a rule."

"You manage to conceal that fact very successfully," he said.

She laughed again rather piteously. "You don't know me," she whispered.
"I'm not--like that--all through."

"I hope not," said Merryon, severely.

She turned her face slightly upwards and snuggled it into his neck. "You
used not to mind," she said.

He held her close in his arms the while he steeled himself against her.
"Well, I mind now," he said. "And I will have no more of it. Is that
clearly understood?"

She assented dubiously, her lips softly kissing his neck. "It isn't--all
my fault, Billikins," she whispered, wistfully, "that men treat
me--lightly."

He set his teeth. "It must be your fault," he declared, firmly. "You can
help it if you try."

She turned her face more fully to his. "How grim you look, darling! You
haven't kissed me for quite five minutes."

"I feel more like whipping you," he said, grimly.

She leapt in his arms as if he had been about to put his words into
action. "Oh, no!" she cried. "No, you wouldn't beat me, Billikins.
You--you wouldn't, dear, would you?" Her great eyes, dilated and
imploring, gazed into his for a long desperate second ere she gave
herself back to him with a sobbing laugh. "You're not in earnest, of
course. I'm silly to listen to you. Do kiss me, darling, and not
frighten me anymore!"

He held her close, but still he did not comply with her request. "Did
this Silvester ever kiss you?" he asked.

She shook her head vehemently, hiding her face.

"Look at me!" he said.

"No, Billikins!" she protested.

"Then tell me the truth!" he said.

"He kissed me--once, Billikins," came in distressed accents from his
shoulder.

"And you?" Merryon's words sounded clipped and cold.

She shivered. "I ran right away to you. I--I didn't feel safe any more."

Merryon sat silent. Somehow he could not stir up his anger against her,
albeit his inner consciousness told him that she had been to blame; but
for the first time his passion was cooled. He hel