"Besides, if they did, it wouldn't make any difference. No, Dahlia,
it's got to stop. We're too young to know, and besides, it would be
absurd anyway. I know it's bad luck on you. Perhaps I said rather too
much in the summer. But of course we'll always be good friends. I
know you'll see it as I do in a little time. We've both been
indiscreet, and it's better to draw back now than later--really it is."

"Do you mean it, Robin?"

She stood facing him with her hands clenched; her face was white and
her eyes were blazing with fury.

"Yes, of course," he said. "I think it's time this ended----"

"Not before I've told you what I think of you," she cried. "You're a
thief and a coward--you've stolen a girl's love and then you're afraid
to face the world--you're afraid of what people will say. If you don't
love me, you're tied to me, over and over again. You've made me
promises--you made me love you--and now when your summer amusement is
over you fling me aside--you and your fine relations! Oh! you
gentlemen! It would be a good thing for the world if we were rid of
the whole lot of you! You coward! You coward!"

He was taken aback by her fury.

"I say--Dahlia--" he stammered, "it's unfair----"

"Oh! yes!" she broke in, "unfair, of course, to you! but nothing to
me--nothing to me that you stole my love--robbed me of it like a common
thief--pretended to love me, promised to marry me, and now--now--Oh!
unfair! yes, always for the man, never for the girl--she doesn't count!
She doesn't matter at all. Break her heart and fling it away and
nobody minds--it's as good as a play!"

She burst into tears, and stood with her head in her hands, sobbing as
though her heart would break. It was a most distressing scene!

"Really, really, Dahlia," said Robin, feeling extremely uncomfortable
(it was such a very good thing, he thought, that none of his friends
could see him), "it's no use your taking it like this. I had better
go--we can't do any good by talking about it now. To-morrow, when we
can look at it calmly, it will seem different."

He moved to the door, but she made another attempt and put her hand
timidly on his arm to stop him.

"No, no, Robin, I didn't mean what I said--not like that. I didn't
know what I was saying. Oh, I love you, dear, I love you! I can't let
you go like that. You don't know what it means to me. You are taking
everything from me--when you rob a girl of her love, of her heart, y