lapsed. The daylight
strengthened, until at last tiny flecks of sunshine twinkled in the
meshes of the further curtains at the window. She fancied him asleep,
and gently sought to disengage her hand, but his fingers clutched at it
with vehemence, and his eyes were wide open.

"I can't sleep at all," he murmured. "I want to talk."

"There 's nothing in the world to hinder you," she commented smilingly.

"I tell you the solemn truth," he said, lifting his voice in dogged
assertion: "the best sermon I ever preached in my life, I preached only
three weeks ago, at the camp-meeting. It was admitted by everybody to be
far and away my finest effort! They will tell you the same!"

"It's quite likely," assented Sister Soulsby. "I quite believe it."

"Then how can anybody say that I've degenerated, that I've become a
fool?" he demanded.

"I haven't heard anybody hint at such a thing," she answered quietly.

"No, of course, YOU haven't heard them!" he cried. "I heard them,
though!" Then, forcing himself to a sitting posture, against the
restraint of her hand, he flung back the covering. "I'm burning hot
already! Yes, those were the identical words: I haven't improved; I've
degenerated. People hate me; they won't have me in their houses. They
say I'm a nuisance and a bore. I'm like a little nasty boy. That's what
they say. Even a young man who was dying--lying right on the edge of his
open grave--told me solemnly that I reminded him of a saint once, but I
was only fit for a barkeeper now. They say I really don't know anything
at all. And I'm not only a fool, they say, I'm a dishonest fool into the
bargain!"

"But who says such twaddle as that?" she returned consolingly. The
violence of his emotion disturbed her. "You mustn't imagine such things.
You are among friends here. Other people are your friends, too. They
have the very highest opinion of you."

"I haven't a friend on earth but you!" he declared solemnly. His eyes
glowed fiercely, and his voice sank into a grave intensity of tone. "I
was going to kill myself. I went on to the big bridge to throw myself
off, and a policeman saw me trying to climb over the railing, and he
grabbed me and marched me away. Then he threw me out at the entrance,
and said he would club my head off if I came there again. And then I
went and stood and let the cable-cars pass close by me, and twenty times
I thought I had the nerve to throw myself under the next one, and then
I waited for the n