ok off
her gloves and veil. She wanted to gain time. Hardy followed her to the
opposite side of the fireplace.

"Whatever possessed you, Vincent, to grow that horrid beard?"

He had forgotten the change in his personal appearance. He looked in the
glass and was startled by his own reflection. Owing to the agony of the
shock she had given him, his face was still grey and drawn. The poor
fellow tried to smile, and that made matters worse.

"I daresay it was a nasty shock. Did it make you feel as if I was
somebody else?"

"Oh no; it has not altered you much. It's not that. But--I hate beards,
as you know."

There was silence. Hardy was struggling with the old stifling sensation
in his heart. Emotion was bad for him.

"Is this all you've got to say to me, after being a year away?"

She looked at him, shook her head, and played with the ornaments on the
mantel-board.

"Why can't you speak to me? Has anything happened? Is anybody dead?"

"No; but I wish I was."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because----" She was trying to wring the neck off a little china image
now. "Oh, Vincent, don't think me very unkind! but I--I'd rather,
another time, you didn't show your cousinly affection quite in that way.
That's all."

He covered his eyes with one hand to shut out the sight of Audrey.

"No, that's not all, I see. There's something else behind that,--there
must be. _Has_ anything happened?"

She bowed her head and sighed, a long shivering sigh. The china image
slipped through her fingers, and was broken to bits on the hearthstone.

"Audrey--what is it?"

He took her by the wrists and drew her gently to him. As he touched her
he saw her face whiten and her eyes dilate.

"Do you remember last year when you said you loved me?--when you
promised to be my wife? Do you remember how you said good-bye to me
then? Now you won't speak to me. What have you been doing to make you
hate me? Or what stupid idea have you got into your head about me?"

"Nothing--nothing. Only--I want you to understand that what you said
just now is out of the question. It can't be."

"Why not? You promised; so it could be once, why not now?"

"Because--because--I never really promised, you know."

"You never promised! You little liar! You may want to break your
promise, but you can hardly say you didn't make it."

"I never made it--not of my own free will. You took advantage of me; you
forced me into it. You teased me till I said I cared for you