bish! Must I be governed by the fancies of that silly girl?
Besides, the whole thing is absurdly ridiculous."

"But facts are stubborn, and anyone can see that the girl is--"

"Hang it all! I'll go at the end of the month."

"Very well. And in the leave-taking--?"

"What?"

"It is pleasant to be appreciated and to carry away with one memories, I
will not say tender, but appreciative."

"I can't act like a boor. I must be decent to the girl. Besides, she
isn't altogether a fool."

"No, but very crude, very primitive, very passionate, and therefore very
defenseless."

"All right, I shall simply shake hands and go."

So, with the consequent sense of relief that high resolve always brings,
Cameron lay down again and fell into slumber and dreams of home.

From these dreams of home Mandy recalled him with a summons to dinner.
As his eye, still filled with the vision of his dreams, fell upon her
in all the gorgeous splendour of her Sunday dress, he was conscious of
a strong sense of repulsion. How coarse, how crude, how vulgar she
appeared, how horribly out of keeping with those scenes through which he
had just been wandering in his dreams.

"I want no dinner, Mandy," he said shortly. "I have a bad head and I am
not hungry."

"No dinner?" That a man should not want dinner was to Mandy quite
inexplicable, unless, indeed, he were ill.

"Are you sick?" she cried in quick alarm.

"No, I have a headache. It will pass away," said Cameron, turning over
on his side. Still Mandy lingered.

"Let me bring you a nice piece of pie and a cup of tea."

Cameron shuddered.

"No," he said, "bring me nothing. I merely wish to sleep."

But Mandy refused to be driven away.

"Say, I'm awful sorry. I know you're sick."

"Nonsense!" said Cameron, impatiently, waiting for her to be gone. Still
Mandy hesitated.

"I'm awful sorry," she said again, and her voice, deep, tender,
full-toned, revealed her emotion.

Cameron turned impatiently towards her.

"Look here, Mandy! There's nothing wrong with me. I only want a little
sleep. I shall be all right to-morrow."

But Mandy's fears were not to be allayed.

"Say," she cried, "you look awful bad."

"Oh, get out, Mandy! Go and get your dinner. Don't mind me." Cameron's
tone was decidedly cross.

Without further remonstrance Mandy turned silently away, but before she
turned Cameron caught the gleam of tears in the great blue eyes. A swift
compunction seized him.

"I say, Ma