as bitterly sorry."

"No, no, darling," he interposed. "You hurt me."

"Don't misunderstand, please. It was splendid to think that you shared
my confidence; above all that you had cared for me as I had cared for
you in the old days. But yet I was tortured incessantly. You had
contracted other ties; there were your duties to others, and the tangle
was horrible! After I left you on that first day I was determined that,
if I was to be an influence in your life at all, I must be the first to
keep you true to your duties. You and I are enlightened, you see. We
have the advantage over these simpler souls. Therefore we must efface
ourselves to leave them their simple rights."

He stood humbly; silent before her gentle and unanswerable rebuke.

"I struggled terribly with myself. I felt it would hardly be right to
see you even a second time, and I was almost on the point of leaving
London at once, perhaps without sending you a single line of adieu. But
then the thought came to me that that perhaps would be a worse blunder
than the first. My intrusion into your life might in that case have
disturbed it to no purpose. I thought my sudden departure might leave a
bitter memory for years. So I determined to stay long enough to soften
the parting for both of us--for me as well as for you. And during all
the time I meant to influence you to be loyal to your engagements. I had
made the first mistake; on me lay the obligation of mending things. I
stayed only to mend them! That was my sincere motive in asking you to do
the sketch. I know I have had my moments of weakness; it is hard to live
with one's hand in the fire without flinching now and again. Darling, I
must go--far away from you, and you must not follow me. Your honour,
dearest, is precious to me. The thought of your perfect loyalty to Alice
will help me. I only ask you to remember the high standard I have set
for you. Strive for the best; let your watchword be 'No compromise!' You
will let me go now, darling. Say you understand my motives, and forgive
me if they were mistaken. Perhaps, instead of mending things, I have
only added mischief to mischief. I throw myself on your generosity and
magnanimity. Promise me you will be the truest husband to her, that you
will do everything in your power to promote her happiness."

He seized her hands; his flesh burnt hers. "I love you, darling, I love
you," he cried hoarsely. "I cannot let you go."

She looked him frankly and firmly in