d then--desert me."

"Oh, very well," he answered. "If any advice of mine--But I couldn't go
through that sacrilegious farce of being near you and not"--She waited
breathlessly, a condensed eternity, for him to go on; but he stopped at
that word, and added: "How can I advise you?"

The disappointment was so cruel that the tears came into her eyes and
ran down her face, which she averted from him. When she could control
herself she said, "I have an opportunity of going on in my profession
now, in a way that makes me sure of success."

"I am very glad on your account. You must be glad to realize"

"No, no!" she retorted wildly. "I am not glad!"

"I thought you"--

"But there are conditions! He says he will go with me anywhere, and we
can practise our profession together, and I can carry out all my plans.
But first--first--he wants me to--marry him!"

"Who?"

"Don't you know? Dr. Mulbridge!"

"That--I beg your pardon. I've no right to call him names." The young
fellow halted, and looked at her downcast face. "Well, do you want me to
tell you to take him? That is too much. I did n't know you were cruel."

"You make me cruel! You leave me to be cruel!"

"I leave you to be cruel?"

"Oh, don't play upon my words, if you won't ask me what I answered!"

"How can I ask that? I have no right to know."

"But you shall know!" she cried. "I told him that I had no plans. I have
given them all up because--because I'm too weak for them, and because I
abhor him, and because--But it was n't enough. He would not take what I
said for answer, and he is coming again for an answer."

"Coming again?"

"Yes. He is a man who believes that women may change, for reason or no
reason; and"--

"You--you mean to take him when he comes back?" gasped the young man.

"Never! Not if he came a thousand times!"

"Then what is it you want me to advise you about?" he faltered.

"Nothing!" she answered, with freezing hauteur. She suddenly put up
her arms across her eyes, with the beautiful, artless action of a
shame-smitten child, and left her young figure in bewildering relief.
"Oh, don't you see that I love you?"

"Could n't you understand,--couldn't you see what I meant?" she asked
again that night, as they lost themselves on the long stretch of the
moonlit beach. With his arm close about that lovely shape they would
have seemed but one person to the inattentive observer, as they paced
along in the white splendor.

"I couldn't ris