he Dark."

"It was all you saw that night, in the little boat," she said after a
time. "Yet you went?"

"Oh, yes, but that was different."

"Is this all, Harry?" she said, and moved toward the door.

"Yes, my dear; it is all--but all the rest."

Her color must have risen, for I saw dimly that she raised both her
hands to her bosom, her throat. Thus the heartless jade stood, her
head drooped, unable to meet the piercing gaze of my eagle eye.

There came a faint scratching at the door, a little whimpering whine.

"It is Partial, my dog, come after you," said I bitterly. "He knows
you are here. He never has done that way for me. He loves you."

"He knows _you_ are here, and he loves you," said she. "That is why
things come and scratch at doors where ruffians live."

I flung open the door. "Partial," said I, "come in; and choose between
us."

As to the first part of my speech, the invitation to enter, Partial
obeyed with a rush; as to the second, the admonition, he apparently
could not obey at all. In his poor dumb brute affliction, lack of
human speech, he stood, after saluting us both, alternately and
equally, hesitant between us, wagging, whining and gazing, knowing
full well somewhat was wrong between us, grieving over us, beseeching
us--but certainly not choosing between us.

"Give him time," said I hoarsely. "He loves you more, and is merely
polite to me."

"Give him time," said she bitterly. "He loves you more, and you don't
deserve it."

But Partial would not choose.

"He wants us _both_, Helena!" said I at last. "He has wiped out logic,
premises, conclusions, cause and effect, horse, cart and all! He wants
us _both_! He wants a quiet home and independence, Helena, and
usefulness, and contentment. Ah, my God!"

She reached down and put a hand on his head, but he only looked from
one to the other of us, unhappy.

"Don't you love me, Helena?" I asked quietly, after a time. "For the
sake of my dog, can you not love me?"

She continued stroking the head of the agonized Partial.... And until,
somewhat inarticulately, I had choked or spoken, and had caught her
dark hair against my cheek and kissed her hair and stammered in her
ear, and turned her face and kissed her eyes and her cheek and her
lips many, many times, Partial held his peace and issued no
decision.... At least, I did not hear him....

She was sobbing now, her head on my shoulder, as we sat on the locker
seat, and Partial's head was on