ns.

"I--I wasn't sleepy," she said, breathlessly.

"Nor I. I didn't want to sleep. I wanted"--he stepped through the
gateway and seized the hand that lay against her breast--"you."

"Please!" she cried, straining away at the length of her slender arm.
"You mustn't! You got my note!"

"And tore it to fragments--an hour since! I don't remember a word of
it!"

"But I meant it!"

"You didn't!"

"Let me go, please; I ought not to be here; I don't want to stay here."

"You must stay until--but you're trembling!" He dropped her hand and
stood back contritely. "Have I scared you?"

"Yes.... I don't know.... Good night."

She turned, but didn't go. The moonlight enfolded her slim form with
white radiance and danced in and out of her soft hair. Wade drew a deep
breath.

"Will you listen a moment to me, please?" he asked, calmly.

She bowed her head without turning.

"You said in your note that you did not care to be made a convenience
of. What did that mean, please?"

"You know!"

"But I don't. You must tell me."

"I don't wish to. Why do you try to pretend with me?" she asked with a
flash of scorn.

"Pretend! Good Lord, is this pretense? What do you mean? Is it pretense
to be so madly in love with you that--that yesterday and to-day
have"--he caught himself up. "You must tell me," he said, quietly.

"I meant that I would not marry you to salve your conscience." She
turned and faced him, her head back scornfully. "You thought some of
that money should be mine and because I refused to take it you--you
tried to trick me! You pretended you--cared for me. Don't I understand?
You threatened one day to have your way, and you thought I was so--so
simple that I wouldn't guess."

"You mean," he asked, incredulously, "that you think I want to marry you
just so I can--can restore that money to you?"

"Yes," she answered, defiantly. But there was a wavering note in the
word, as though she had begun to doubt. He was silent a moment. Then--

"But if I told you--convinced you that you were wrong? What then?"

There was no answer. She had turned her head away and stood as though
poised for flight, one little clenched hand hanging at her side and
gleaming like marble. He went toward her slowly across the few yards of
turf. She heard him coming and began to tremble again. She wanted to
run, but felt powerless to move. Then he was speaking to her and she
felt his breath on her cheek.

"Eve, dear, such a thought never