stood before her, hanging his head, a very
handsome picture of abject humility. After a moment of silence Dic
answered:--

"Miss Tousy, the truth is, I have lost all self-respect, and know that I
am both a fool and a--a criminal. Rita will not, cannot, and ought not
to forgive me. I am entirely unworthy of her. She is gentle and tender
as she can be; but she has more spirit than you would suspect. I have
seen her under the most trying circumstances, and with all her
gentleness she is very strong. I have lost her and must give her up."

"You'll be no such fool," cried Miss Tousy; "but some one is knocking at
the front door. Be seated, please." She opened the front hall door,
kissed "some one" who had knocked, and said to "some one":--

"Step into the parlor, please. I will be with you soon." Then she closed
the parlor door and basely fled.

Dic sprang to his feet, and Rita, turning backward toward the door,
stood trembling, her hand on the knob.

"Don't go, Rita," said Dic, huskily. "I did not know you were coming
here. I give you my word, I did not set a trap for you. Miss Tousy will
tell you I had no thought of seeing you here. I wanted to see you, but
I would not try to entrap you. I intended going to your house openly
that you might refuse to see me if you wished; but since you are here,
please--oh, Rita, for God's sake, stay and hear me. I am almost crazed
by what I have suffered, though I deserve it all, all. You don't know
what I have to say." She partly opened the door; but he stepped quickly
to her side, shut the door, and spoke almost angrily:--

"You shall hear me, and after I have spoken, if you wish, you may go,
but not until then."

He unclasped her hand from the knob, and, using more of his great
strength than he knew, led her to a chair and brought another for
himself.

The touch of command in Dic's manner sent a strange thrill to the girl's
heart, and she learned in one brief moment that all her sophistry had
been in vain; that her love was not dead, and could not be killed. That
knowledge, however, did not change her resolution not to forgive him.
You see, there was a touch of the Chief Justice in the girl.

"I want you to hear me, Rita, and, if you can, I want you to forgive me,
and then I want you to forget me," said Dic.

The words "forget me" were not what she had expected to hear. She had
supposed he would make a plea for forgiveness and beg to be taken back;
but the words "forget me,"