patiently and faithfully had crumbled into nothing. Her despair
seemed, for the moment, to have gone; she only felt burning
contempt--contempt for him, that he could seem so small--contempt for
herself, that she could have worshipped at such altars.

She turned round and looked at him.

"That is rather unfair. You say that I am not your equal socially.
Well, we will leave it at that--you are quite right--it is over."

He lowered his eyes before her steady gaze. At last he was ashamed; he
had not meant to put it brutally. He had behaved like a cad and he
knew it. Her white face, her hands clenched tightly at her side, the
brave lift of her head as she faced him, moved him as her tears and
emotions had never done.

He sprang up and stood by her.

"Dahlia, I've been a brute, a cad--I didn't know what I had said--I
didn't mean it like that, as you thought. Only I've been so worried,
I've not known where to turn and--oh, don't you see, I'm so young. I
get driven, I can't stand up against them all."

Why, he was nearly crying. The position was suddenly reversed, and she
could almost have laughed at the change. He was looking at her
piteously, like a boy convicted of orchard-robbing--and she had loved
him, worshipped him! Five minutes ago his helplessness would have
stirred her, she would have wanted to take him and protect him and
comfort him; but now all that was past--she felt only contempt and
outraged pride: her eyes were hard and her hands unclenched.

"It is no good, Robin. You were quite right. There is an end of
everything. It was a mistake for both of us, and perhaps it is as well
that we should know it now. It will spare us later."

So that was the end. He felt little triumph or satisfaction; he was
only ashamed.

He turned to go without a word. Then he remembered--"There are the
letters?"

"Ah! you must let me keep them--for a memory." She was not looking at
him, but out of the window on to the street. A cab was slowly crawling
in the distance--she could see the end of the driver's whip as he
flicked at his horses.

"You can't--you don't mean----?" Robin turned back to her.

"I mean nothing--only I am--tired. You had better go. We will write
if there is anything more."

"Look here!" Robin was trembling from head to foot. "You must let me
have them back. It's serious--more than you know. People might see
them and--my God! you would ruin me!"

He was speaking melodramatical