ill. In a moment he would be
bound hand and foot.

Still, come what may, he must satisfy his honour. He must satisfy his
honour at any price.

Gwendolen saw that he did not move and she became suddenly alarmed.
Didn't he mean to keep his promise after all? Had he taken a dislike to
her?

"Have I offended you?" she asked humbly. "You're not pleased with me.
Oh, Dr. Middleton, you do make me so afraid!" She got up from her chair,
looking very pale. "You've been so awfully kind and good to me, but you
make me frightened!" She held out her hands to him and turned her face
away, as if to hide it from him. "Oh, do be kind!" she pleaded.

He was looking at her with profound attention, but the tenseness of his
eyes had relaxed. Here was this girl. Foolish she might be naturally,
badly brought up she certainly was, but she was utterly alone in the
world. He must train her. He must oblige her to walk in the path he had
laid out for her. She, too, must become a servant of the College. He
willed it!

"I hope, Gwendolen," he said gently, "that I shall never be anything but
kind to you. But do you realise that if you are my wife, you will have
to live, not for pleasure or ease; and you will have not merely to
control yourself, but learn to control other people? This may sound
hard. Does it sound hard?"

Oh, she would try her very best. She would do whatever he told her to
do. Just whatever he told her!

Whatever he told her to do! What an unending task he had undertaken of
telling her what to do! He must never relax his will or his attention
from her. It would be no marriage for him; it would be a heavy
responsibility. But at least the College should not suffer! Was he sure
of that? He must see that it did not suffer. If he failed, he must
resign. His promise to her was not to love her. He had never spoken of
love. He had offered her a home, and he must give her a home.

He braced himself up with a supreme effort and went towards her, taking
her into his arms and kissing her brow and cheeks, and then, releasing
himself from her clinging arms, he said--

"Go now, Gwendolen. Go to bed. I have work to do."

"Are you--is it----" she stammered.

"We are engaged, if that is what you mean," he said.

"Oh, Dr. Middleton!" she exclaimed. "And may I write to my mother?"

The Warden did not answer for a moment.

That was another burden, Gwendolen's mother! The Warden's face became
hard. But he thought he knew how he should dea