or a moment, and then said in a tranquil tone, "Oh, no."

"No? Why not?" said Percival, smiling a little in spite of himself.

"I think that if you go you will be back again in six months."

"Ah? You think I have no constancy in me; no resolution; no manliness."

"Indeed, I think nothing so dreadful. But California is not the place
where I can imagine a man of your tastes being happy. Were you so very
happy on the Rocas Reef?"

"That has nothing to do with it. I should have been happy if I had had
enough to do. I want some active work."

"Can you not find that in England?"

"I daresay I might. I hate England. I have nothing to keep me in
England."

"But what has happened?" asked Angela. "You did not talk in this way
when you came from the Rocas Reef."

"Because I did not know what a fool I could make of myself."

She glanced at him with a faint, sweet smile. "You alarm me, Mr. Heron,"
she said, very tranquilly. "What have you been doing?"

Percival started up from the low seat in which he had placed himself,
walked to the window, and then came back to her side and looked at her.
He was standing in one of his most defiant attitudes, with his hands
thrust into his pockets, and a deep dent on his brow.

"I will tell you what I have been doing," he said, in a curiously dogged
tone. "I'll give you my history for the last year or two. It isn't a
creditable one. Will you listen to it or not?"

"I will listen to it," said Angela.

She looked at him with serene, meditative eyes, which calmed him almost
against his will as he proceeded.

"I'll tell you, then," he said. "I nearly wrecked three lives through my
own selfish obstinacy. I almost broke a woman's heart and sacrificed my
honour----"

"Almost? Nearly?" said Angela, gently. "That is possible, but you saw
your mistake in time. You drew back; you did not do these things."

"I'll tell you what I did do!" he exclaimed. "I whined to you, until I
loathe myself, about a woman who never cared a straw for me. Do you call
that manly?"

"I call it very natural," said Angela.

"And after all----"

"Yes, after all?" He hesitated so long that she looked up into his face
and gently repeated the words "After all?"

"After all," he went on at last, with a sort of groan, "I love--someone
else."

They were both silent. He threw himself into a chair, and looked at her
expectantly.

"Don't you despise me?" he said, presently.

"Why should I, Mr. Heron?"

"Why?