ce; no obstacles of nature that lifted a forbidding
hand "thus far and no farther;" no thrill of determined battle that
rushed against these obstacles and bore them down. His field had been
sown; the harvest was waiting for him to thrust in and reap, what?
Money; that was all. Money that would only intensify his consciousness
of an existence that like rank vegetation throve aimlessly only to rot
and thrive again. What would love, even Helen's love, mean to him? Would
that, assured, satisfy him, or would it, possessed, be to him like his
work that was done? What had drawn them together but an intense,
absorbing, common interest?

This mood was strange to Winston. He could, and did, reason himself out
of it; but its influence remained. In his cabin, which was his office as
well, he wrapped his blankets around him and lay down to sleep.

Helen's night was sleepless. She had retired early, not to sleep, as she
knew, but that in solitude she might try to think out more clearly her
course of action. Her admiration for Winston had increased a
thousand-fold, if that were possible; and he had offered her his love to
crown it all, and she had seemed to weigh it in her hands, as a Jew
might bite a piece of gold to try its worth. She had done this when
every fiber of her heart cried out against it, demanding that she should
render to Ralph his own. Why had she turned even seemingly against
Ralph, against herself?

Only that she might do penance for her sin. Was not that it after all?
But she was innocent of any intentional wrong. Was it not selfishness,
this penance which she was imposing upon herself? Was she not compelling
Ralph to bear a part of her punishment, demanding that he wait in doubt
till she could declare herself purified? Was it not pride and selfish
pride which demanded that through Elijah's redemption she should be
declared free?

Then a thought came to her which quickened every nerve to painful
throbs. Was it not worse than selfishness, was it not a crime? Was not
this shielding of Elijah a crime against others, innocent? What if she
should fail? Her heart was beating with great, painful throbs. She
thought of what Ralph had told her as he had showed her the weak points
of the dam. "If the waste weir should be choked, in a few hours the dam
would be gone." He had pointed out to her just how simple a thing it was
to wedge the gates and to choke the weir. And she had listened, and to
protect herself,--that was th