d have
regarded his dampening words as a mere cloak for his own generosity. But
his unconcerned and dispassionate air left no doubt in my mind that
it was he who was unwilling to face the romantic but desperate
circumstances in which my father's decree had placed us. Instinct told
me that he in whose constancy and in whose devotion to ideality I had
believed with all the ardor and trust of which I was capable, was false,
and ready to subordinate a love like ours to temporal considerations.

Yet with the persistence of one who clutches at any semblance of hope
however slender, I refused to believe the truth without further
evidence.

"I should not be a burden to you, Roger. People can live on much less
than they suppose. We could both work, I as well as you."

He shrugged his shoulders, and taking both my hands in his looked into
my face with a trivial smile, so little in accord with the intensity of
my feelings that I almost shrieked with pain.

"Do you think I would allow my dear girl to demean herself in any such
way as that? No, no! Love in a cottage is a delightful theory, but put
into practice it becomes terribly disappointing."

I drew away my hands from him and sat for some moments in silence.

"I think it is best that our engagement should come to an end," I said
presently.

He made a sigh of resignation. "That is for you to decide. It rests with
you, of course."

"I agree with you that it would be very foolish of us to marry without
my father's consent, Mr. Dale."

He drew himself up a little, and looked at me as if hurt. "Are you angry
with me, Virginia?"

"Angry? Why should I be angry?"

"Then why call me Mr. Dale?"

"Because," I answered quietly and firmly, though I felt my anger rising,
"unless you are to be my husband, you must be Mr. Dale."

"Can we not be friends?" he asked in a dejected tone.

"We can never be anything else," I answered with some ambiguity; and I
rose and rang the bell.

The servant entered. "Tell Mr. Harlan, please, that I would like to
speak to him."

"I think we are acting for the best," he said, after an awkward pause.

"I am sure we are, Mr. Dale." It was undignified, it may be, to betray
my feelings, but my love was too strong to die without a murmur.

My father looked inquiringly at us as he entered. His face seemed to me
almost haggard.

I said at once, "Father, we have made up our minds that you are right.
It would be madness in us to marry without your