d, speaking of her mother, who was near by, "that
I would decide nothing. She wanted me to say that I would do this, but I
insisted that it must be left to you. If you want to go back to New
York, we will go, tonight or tomorrow. If you want to accept this plan
of your mother's, it's all right, so far as I am concerned. I would
rather have you now, but if I can see you, I am willing to wait."

He was calm now, logical, foolishly speculative. Suzanne wondered at
this. She had no advice to offer. She had expected some dramatic climax,
but since it had not come about, she had to be content. The truth was
that she had been swept along by her desire to be with Eugene. It had
seemed to her in the beginning that it was not possible for him to get a
divorce. It had seemed also from her reading and youthful philosophizing
that it was really not necessary. She did not want to be mean to Angela.
She did not want Eugene to mortify her by openly leaving her. She had
fancied since Eugene had said that Angela was not satisfactory to him
and that there was no real love between them, that Angela really did not
care she had practically admitted as much in her letter--that it would
not make so much difference if she shared him with her. What was he
explaining now--a new theory as to what they were to do? She thought he
was coming for her to take her away like a god, whereas here he was
presenting a new theory to her in anything but a god-like way. It was
confusing. She did not know how it was that Eugene did not want to leave
at once.

"Well, I don't know whatever you think," she said. "If you want me to
stay here another month----"

"No, no!" exclaimed Eugene quickly, conscious of a flaw in the
arrangement, and anxious to make it seem right. "I didn't mean that. Not
that. I want you to come back with me now, if possible, tonight, only I
wanted to tell you this. Your mother seems sincere. It seems a shame if
we can keep friends with her and still have our way, not to do so. I
don't want to do any greater harm than I can help unless you are
perfectly willing and----" He hesitated over his own thoughts.

At this moment Suzanne could scarcely have told what she felt. The crux
of the situation was being put to her for her decision, and it should
not be. She was not strong enough, not experienced enough. Eugene should
decide, and whatever he decided would be right.

The truth was that after getting her in his arms again, and that in the
p