"You may include that, too," he said, lighting a cigarette for her;
and she blew a ring of smoke at him, saying:

"I may--but I won't. For goodness sake leave me the last one of my
delusions!"

They both laughed and he said she was welcome to her remaining
delusion.

"Won't you share it with me?" she said, her smile innocent enough,
save for the audacity of the red mouth.

"Share your delusion?"

"Yes, that too."

This wouldn't do. He lighted a cigarette for himself and sauntered
over to the piano.

"I hope Vanya's concert is a success," he said. "He's such a charming
fellow, Vanya--so considerate, so gentle--" He turned and looked at
Marya, and his eyes added: "Why the devil don't you marry him and have
a lot of jolly children?"

There seemed to be in his clear eyes enough for the girl to comprehend
something of the question they flung at her.

"I don't love Vanya," she said.

"Of course you do!"

"As I might love a child--yes."

After a silence: "It strikes me," he said, "that you're passionately
in love."

"I am."

"With yourself," he added, smiling.

"With _you_."

This wouldn't do any longer. The place slightly stifled him with its
stillness, rugs--the odours that came from lacquered shapes, looming
dimly, flowered and golden in the dusk--the aromatic scent of her
cigarette----

"Hell!" he muttered under his breath. "This is no place for a white
man." But aloud he said pleasantly: "My very best wishes for Vanya
to-night. Tell him so when he returns--" He put on his overcoat and
picked up hat and stick.

"It's infernally late," he added, "and I've been a beast to keep you
up. It was awfully nice of you."

She rose from the lounge and walked with him to the door.

"Good night," he said cheerily; but she retained his hand, added her
other to it, and put up her face.

"Look here," he said, smilingly, "I can't do that, Marya."

"Why can't you?"

Her soft breath was on his face; the mouth too near--too near----

"No, I can't!" he said curtly, but his voice trembled a little.

"Why?" she whispered.

"Because--there's Vanya. No, I won't do it!"

"Is that the reason?"

"It's a reason."

"I don't love Vanya. I do love you."

"Please remember----"

"No! No! I have nothing to remember--unless you give me something----"

"You had better try to remember that Vanya loves you. You and I can't
do a thing like that to Vanya--"

"Are there no other reasons?"

He reddened to the tem