ged up. She
pulled her hand away and covered her face.

"You never loved that man--not for a moment," said Jim firmly.

"No, I didn't," she cried. "I _hate_ him now, and I believe I hated him
all the time. If I were to meet him I should die of shame. Oh, why did I
do it? And I feel ashamed before you, Jim. I can't marry you. I can't
see you any more. I am glad you are going away."

"I am not going unless you come with me, Cicely," he said. "I want you.
I want you more than ever; I understand you better. If this hadn't
happened I shouldn't have known what you wanted; I don't think I should
have been able to make you happy. Good heavens! do you think I believe
that you wanted that man? I _know_ you didn't, or I shouldn't be here
now. You wanted life, and I had never offered you that. I do offer it
you now. Come and help me to do what I'm going to do. I can't do any of
it without you."

She smiled at him forlornly. "You _are_ good," she said. "And you have
comforted me a little. But you can't forget what has happened. It isn't
possible."

"Look here, my dear," said Jim simply. "Will you believe me when I say
that I have forgotten it already? That is to say it doesn't come into my
mind. I don't have to keep it out; it doesn't come. I've got other
things to think of. There's all the future, and what I'm going to do,
and you are going to help me to do. Really, if I thought of it, I ought
to be glad you did what you did, in a way, for all I've thought of since
comes from that. I saw what you were worth and what you could make of a
man if he loved you as I do, and you loved him. We won't play at it,
Cicely. I'm in earnest. I shall be a better fellow all round if I'm
trying to do something and not only sitting at home and amusing myself.
We shall have to make some sacrifices. We shall only be able to afford a
flat or a little house in London. I must keep things going here and put
by a bit for an election, perhaps. But I know you won't mind not having
much money for a time. We shall be together, and there won't be a thing
in my life that you won't share."

She had kept her eyes fixed upon him as he spoke. "Do you really mean
it, Jim?" she asked quietly. "Do you really want _me_, out of all the
people in the world?"

"I don't want anybody but you," he said, "and I don't want anything
without you."

"Then I will come with you, dearest Jim," she said. "And I will never
want anything except what you want all my life."

He