t in front of her, and tilting her
head a little backward before the approach of his inflamed,
impetuous face.

He stopped, and she bent forward slightly and held him with the full
gaze of her serious eyes.

"What--do you think--you're doing?" she asked slowly.

He said he supposed that she could see.

"I can see a good deal. I see you _think_ you're saying these things
to me because you've found me here at this peculiar time, in this
peculiar place, and because I haven't any man around."

"No, no. That wasn't it, I--I assure you."

A terrible misgiving seized him.

"Why did you do it?" she asked sweetly.

"I--upon my word, I don't know why."

For it seemed to him now that he really hadn't known.

"I'll tell you why," said Roma Lennox. "You did it because you were
just crazy with caring for another woman--a nice, sweet girl who
won't have anything to say to you. And you've been saying to
yourself you're durned if she cares, and you're durned if you care.
And all the time you feel so bad about it that you must go and do
something wicked right away. And taking off your hat to me was your
idea of just about the razzlingest, dazzlingest, plumb wickedest
thing you could figure out to do."

He rose, and took off his hat to her again.

"If I did," he said, "I beg your pardon. Fact is, I--I--I thought
you were somebody else."

"I know it," said she, and paused. "Was it a very strong likeness
that misled you?"

"No. No likeness at all. It's all right," he added hurriedly. "I'm
going--I--I can't think how I made the mistake."

He looked at the scene, at the nocturnal prowlers and promenaders,
at the solitary veiled and seated figure, and he smiled. In all his
agony he smiled.

"And yet," he said, "somebody else will be making it if I leave you
here. Somebody who won't go. I'll go if you like, but----"

"Sit down," she said; "sit down right here. _You_'re not going till
you and I have had a straight talk. Don't you worry about your
mistake. I _meant_ you to come up and speak to me."

That staggered him.

"Good Lord! What on earth _for_?"

"Because I knew that if I didn't you'd go up and speak to somebody
else. Somebody who wouldn't let you go."

She was more staggering than he could have thought her.

"But, dear lady, why----?"

"Why? It's quite simple. You see, I saw you and her together, and I
took an interest--I always do take an interest. So I watched you;
and then--well--I saw what you thought