sonal pronoun."

"I shall miss you, too, of course."

"Well, be careful not to overemphasize it."

Her grey eyes looked frankly and straightly into his. Their clear
depths held a rueful smile. "You are conceited enough already," she
said, "but if it will make you feel any better, I don't mind admitting
that I shall miss you far, far more than you deserve."

"Spoken like a lady!" said Spence warmly. "And now let us consider my
side of it. After the month that I have spent here--do you really think
that I intend to go away--like that?"

"There is only one way of going, isn't there?"

"Not at all. There are various ways. Ways which are quite, quite
different."

"You have thought of some other--some quite different way?"

"Yes. But I daren't tell it to you while you sit on that slippery rock.
It is a somewhat startling way and you might--er--manifest emotion. I
should prefer to have you manifest it in a less dangerous place."

Desire's very young laugh rippled out. "Fussy!" she said. But
nevertheless she climbed down and sat demurely upon stones in the
hollow. There was an unfamiliar light in her waiting eyes, the light of
interest and of hope.

Spence, rather to his consternation, realized that it was up to him to
justify that hope. And he wasn't at all sure ... however, he had to
go through with it, ... There was a fighting chance, anyway.

"Let's think about the work for a moment," he began nervously. "That
work, my book, you know, is simply going all to pot if you can't keep
on with it. You can see yourself what it means to have a competent
secretary. And you like the work. You've just admitted that you like
it."

He saw the light begin to fade from her eyes. She shook her head.

"If you are going to suggest that I go with you as your secretary," she
said with her old bluntness, "it is useless. I have tried that way out.
I won't try it again." Her lips grew stern and her eyes dark with some
too bitter memory.

"I honestly don't see what Dr. Farr could do," said Spence tentatively.

"You would," said Dr. Farr's daughter with decision.

"And anyway," proceeding hastily, "that wasn't what I was thinking of.
I knew that you would refuse to go as my secretary. I ask you to go as
my wife."

Desire rose.

"Is this where I am expected to manifest emotion?" she asked dryly.

"Yes. And you're doing it! I knew you would. Women are utterly
unreasoning. You won't even listen to what I have to say."

The gir