you, Helena," I said.

"And as to your being any other sort of a coward--that you had
physical fear--that you wouldn't do a man's part--why, I never did
mean that at all. How could I? And if I had--why, even Auntie Lucinda
said your going out after that Chinaman the other night was
heroic--even if he couldn't have cooked a bit!--and you know Auntie
Lucinda has always been against you."

"Yes, and you both called me a coward, because I quit my law office
and ran away from misfortune."

"Yes, we did. And I meant that, too! I say it now to your face, Harry.
But maybe I don't know all about that----"

"Maybe not."

"Well, I wouldn't want to be unjust, of course, but I _don't_ think a
man ought to throw away his life. You're young. You could start over
again, and you ought to have tried. Your father made his own money,
and so did my father--why, look at the Sally M. mine, that has given
me my own fortune. Do you suppose that grew on a bush to be shaken
off? So why couldn't you go out in the same way and do something in
the world--I don't mean just make money, you know, but _do_ something?
That's what a girl likes. And you were able enough. You are young and
strong, and you have your education; and I've heard my father say,
before he died--and other men agreed with him--that you were the best
lawyer at our bar, and that you had an extraordinary mind, and a clear
sense of justice, and, and----"

"Go on. Did he say that?"

"Yes."

"But with all my fine qualities of mind and heart," said I, "I lost
all when I lost my money!"

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you what I mean--you dropped me because you thought me
poor. Well, I don't blame you. It takes money to live, and you
deserved all that the world can give. I don't blame you. There were
other men in the world for you. The trouble with me was that there was
no other woman in the world for me. All our trouble--all our many
meetings and partings--have come out of those two facts."

"Did you think that of me?" she asked at length, slowly. I suppose she
was pale, but I could not see.

"I certainly did. How could I think anything else?"

"Harry!" she half whispered. "Why, Harry, Harry!"

"Admit that you did!" I exclaimed bitterly, "and let me start from
that as a premise. Listen! If you were a man, and loved a woman, and
she chucked you when you lost your money, do you think you'd break
your neck to make any more success in the world after that? Why should
you?