lf down on the sofa, and turned away his face. "You have
killed my love," he muttered.

She looked at him in wonder, and laughed. He made no answer. She came
across to him, and with her little fingers stroked his hair. She knelt
down and pressed his hands to her lips. He drew them away, and a shudder
ran through him.

Then he leaped up, and went to the door. "Yes," he cried, "you have
killed my love. You used to stir my imagination. Now you don't even stir
my curiosity. You simply produce no effect. I loved you because you
were marvellous, because you had genius and intellect, because you
realised the dreams of great poets and gave shape and substance to the
shadows of art. You have thrown it all away. You are shallow and stupid.
My God! how mad I was to love you! What a fool I have been! You are
nothing to me now. I will never see you again. I will never think of
you. I will never mention your name. You don't know what you were to me,
once. Why, once.... Oh, I can't bear to think of it! I wish I had never
laid eyes upon you! You have spoiled the romance of my life. How little
you can know of love, if you say it mars your art! Without your art you
are nothing. I would have made you famous, splendid, magnificent. The
world would have worshipped you, and you would have borne my name. What
are you now? A third-rate actress with a pretty face."

The girl grew white, and trembled. She clenched her hands together, and
her voice seemed to catch in her throat. "You are not serious, Dorian?"
she murmured. "You are acting."

"Acting! I leave that to you. You do it so well," he answered bitterly.

She rose from her knees, and, with a piteous expression of pain in her
face, came across the room to him. She put her hand upon his arm, and
looked into his eyes. He thrust her back. "Don't touch me!" he cried.

A low moan broke from her, and she flung herself at his feet, and lay
there like a trampled flower. "Dorian, Dorian, don't leave me!" she
whispered. "I am so sorry I didn't act well. I was thinking of you all
the time. But I will try--indeed, I will try. It came so suddenly across
me, my love for you. I think I should never have known it if you had not
kissed me--if we had not kissed each other. Kiss me again, my love.
Don't go away from me. I couldn't bear it. Oh! don't go away from me. My
brother.... No; never mind. He didn't mean it. He was in jest.... But
you, oh! can't you forgive me for to-night? I will work so hard, a