ring, and to get the whole bearing of the incident in his mind. In
the end his attempt was a failure. He asked Gregory, "And do you think
you've done just right by me?"

"I've done right by nobody," said Gregory, "not even by myself; and I
can see that it was my own pleasure I had in mind. I must tell her the
truth, and then I must leave this place."

"I suppose you want I should keep it quiet," said Fane.

"I don't ask anything of you."

"And she wouldn't," said Fane, after reflection. "But I know she'd be
glad of it, and I sha'n't say anything. Of course, she never can care
for me; and--there's my hand with my word, if you want it." Gregory
silently took the hand stretched toward him and Fane added: "All I'll
ask is that you'll tell her I wouldn't have presumed to send her the
shoes. She wouldn't be mad at you for it."

Gregory took the box, and after some efforts to speak, he went away.
It was an old trouble, an old error, an old folly; he had yielded to
impulse at every step, and at every step he had sinned against another
or against himself. What pain he had now given the simple soul of Fane;
what pain he had given that poor child who had so mistaken and punished
the simple soul! With Fane it was over now, but with Clementina the
worst was perhaps to come yet. He could not hope to see the girl before
morning, and then, what should he say to her? At sight of a lamp burning
in Mrs. Atwell's room, which was on a level with the veranda where he
was walking, it came to him that first of all he ought to go to her,
and confess the whole affair; if her husband were with her, he ought to
confess before him; they were there in the place of the child's father
and mother, and it was due to them. As he pressed rapidly toward the
light he framed in his thought the things he should say, and he did
not notice, as he turned to enter the private hallway leading to Mrs.
Atwell's apartment, a figure at the door. It shrank back from his
contact, and he recognized Clementina. His purpose instantly changed,
and he said, "Is that you, Miss Claxon? I want to speak with you. Will
you come a moment where I can?"

"I--I don't know as I'd betta," she faltered. But she saw the box under
his arm, and she thought that he wished to speak to her about that, and
she wanted to hear what he would say. She had been waiting at the door
there, because she could not bear to go to her room without having
something more happen.

"You needn't be afra