She had grown as pale as he.

"That was ungenerous of you," she said then with icy slowness. "Though
no doubt you--found it entertaining. It must have still further amused
you to be taken for an architect?"

"I am flattered," he replied, with a trace of bitterness, "to have
suggested, even for a moment, so worthy a calling."

Though he spoke calmly enough, his thoughts were in ragged confusion. As
her gaze dived into his, he was conscious of outre fancies. She seemed
to him like some snow-cloud in woman's shape, edged with anger and swept
by a wrathful wind into this summery afternoon. For her part she was
telling herself with passionate resentment that he had no right so to
misrepresent himself--to lead her on to such a denouement. At his answer
she put out her hand with a sudden gesture, as if bluntly thrusting the
matter from her concern, and turning, went back along the tree-shadowed
path.

He followed glumly, gnawing his lip, wanting to say he knew not what,
but wretchedly tongue-tied, noting that the great white moth was still
waving its creamy wings on the dead stump and wondering if she would
take the cape jessamines. He felt an embarrassed relief when, passing
the roots where they lay, she stooped to raise them.

Then all at once the blood seemed to shrink from his heart. With a
hoarse cry he leaped toward her, seized her wrist and roughly dragged
her back, feeling as he did so, a sharp fiery sting on his instep. The
next moment, with clenched teeth, he was viciously stamping his heel
again and again, driving into the soft earth a twisting root-like
something that slapped the brown wintered leaves into a hissing turmoil.

He had flung her from him with such violence that she had fallen
sidewise. Now she raised herself, kneeling in the feathery light, both
hands clasped close to her breast, trembling excessively with loathing
and feeling the dun earth-floor billow like a canvas sea in a theater.
Little puffs of dust from the protesting ground were wreathing about her
set face, and she pressed one hand against her shoulder to repress her
shivers.

"The horrible--horrible--thing!" she said whisperingly. "It would have
bitten me!"

He came toward her, panting, and grasping her hand, lifted her to her
feet. He staggered slightly as he did so, and she saw his lips twist
together oddly. "Ah," she gasped, "it bit you! It bit you!"

"No," he said, "I think not."

"Look! There on your ankle--that spot!"

"