e he was angry with her, and his heart yearned over her.

"Are you going to be able to say that, Barbs," he said gently, "a year
from now, after we've been out of sight and hearing of each other all
that time?"

"Wilmot," she said, "I'm not up to my old bad tricks. I am ready to give
you my word this time, and to keep faith. Only I'd like everything to be
done as soon as possible. I've been a very foolish girl, and perplexed
and tired, and I want to lean on you, if you'll let me. We'll have a
good life together, and I will keep my eyes in the boat."

"A few days ago, Barbs," he said, "you thought that you were seriously
in love with another man."

"I know," she said, "but I wasn't."

"Are you in love with me now?" he asked wistfully.

"I know that you will always be good to me, and love me. And that is
what I _know_ that I want."

"Poor little Barbs," he said.

"It seems to me rather," she said, "that I am now rich with chances of
happiness for us both. I want to make my oldest and most deserving
friend happy, and I trust him to make me happy."

"It isn't love, dear?"

"It's so much affection and friendship that perhaps it's better." She
turned her face away a little. "The best that marriage can end in is
affectionate companionship; why not begin with that, and so be sure of
it for always?"

"If I had ever dreamed," said Wilmot unsteadily, "that you were going to
say things like this to me, I'd have dreamed that I went wild with
happiness, and drove you to the nearest clergyman. But now that you have
actually said what you have said, in real life, I find that I love you
more than ever, and that it is not compatible with so much love to take
you on a basis of friendship. You feel that you have hurt me more than
is possible for your conscience to bear, and you wish to make up for it.
Is that right?"

"That's not all there is to it, Wilmot, by any means. But for heaven's
sake believe that I'm being altogether unselfish: but you know me too
well to believe anything so ridiculous."

"I know you well enough," said Wilmot, "to worship the ground you walk
on. Not because my heart urges me, but my understanding. And I know you
would play the game, once you had given your word, and make me a
splendid wife. But what I have for you cannot be given to mere
friendship and submission, I should feel that I had sinned against my
love for you too greatly to be forgiven. You are closer to me than you
have ever been, my de