gesture of protest.

"Why shouldn't I?" she said. "At least, we should be together."

He uttered a grim laugh, and rose.

"Look here, Violet," he said, and took her lightly by the shoulders.
"Don't be a little fool! You know as well as I do that you weren't made
to rough it. The suggestion is so absurd that it isn't worth discussion.
You'll have to marry Kenyon. It's as plain as daylight; and I only wish
my perplexities were as easily solved. Come! He isn't such a bad sort;
and, anyhow, he's better than starvation."

The girl stood up slowly and faced him. Her eyes were wild, like the
eyes of a hunted creature.

"I hate him, Jerry! I hate him!" she declared vehemently.

"Nonsense!" said Jerry. "He's no worse than a hundred others. You'd hate
any one under these abominable circumstances!"

She shuddered, as if in confirmation of this statement.

"I'd rather do anything," she said; "anything, down to selling matches
in the gutter."

"Which isn't a practical point of view," pointed out Jerry. "You would
get pneumonia with the first east wind, and die."

"Well, then, I'd rather die." The girl's voice trembled with the
intensity of her preference. But her brother frowned again at the words.

"Don't!" he said abruptly. "For Heaven's sake, don't be unreasonable!
Can't you see that it's my greatest worry to get you provided for? You
must marry. You can't live on charity."

Her cheeks flamed.

"But I can work," she began. "I can----"

He interrupted her impatiently.

"You can't. You haven't the strength, and probably not the ability
either. It's no use talking this sort of rot. It's simply silly, and
makes things worse for both of us. It's all very well to say you'd
rather starve, but when it comes to starving, as it will--as it
must--you'll think differently. Look here, old girl: if you won't marry
this fellow for your own sake, do it for mine. I hate it just as much as
you do. But it's bearable, at least. And--there are some things I can't
bear."

He stopped. She was clinging to him closely, beseechingly; but he stood
firm and unyielding, his young face set in hard lines.

"Will you do it?" he said, as she did not speak.

"Jerry!" she said imploringly.

He stiffened to meet the appeal he dreaded. But it did not come. Her
eyes were raised to his, and she seemed to read there the futility of
argument. She remained absolutely still for some seconds, then abruptly
she turned from him and burst into tears.