wn side only, had felt that no plans could be made, that the
natural thing was to go on as before, with the intimacy that she liked
and the familiarity that was the obvious expression of it. But now she
began to see the question from his side; she could not go on doing
that which meant nothing particular to her, if that insouciance meant
something so very particular to him. She realised that if she had loved
him the touch of his hand, the proximity of his face would have had
significance for her, a significance that would have been intolerable
unless there was something mutual and secret between them. It had seemed
so easy, in anticipation, to tell him that he must wait, so simple
for him just--well, just to wait until she could make up her mind. She
believed, as she had told her brother, that she cared for Michael, or
as she had told him that she wanted to--the two were to the girl's
mind identical, though expressed to each in the only terms that were
possible--but until she came face to face with the picture of the
future, that to her wore the same outline and colour as the past, she
had not known the impossibility of such a presentment. The desire of the
lover on Michael's part rendered unthinkable the sisterly attitude on
hers. That her instinct told her, but her reason revolted against it.

"Can't we go on as we were, Michael?" she said.

He looked at her incredulously.

"Oh, no, of course not that," he said.

She moved a step towards him.

"I can't think of you in any other way," she said, as if making an
appeal.

He stood absolutely unresponsive. Something within him longed that she
should advance a step more, that he should again have the touch of her
hands on his shoulders, but another instinct stronger than that made him
revoke his desire, and if she had moved again he would certainly have
fallen back before her.

"It may seem ridiculous to you," he said, "since you do not care. But I
can't do that. Does that seem absurd to you I? I am afraid it does; but
that is because you don't understand. By all means let us be what they
call excellent friends. But there are certain little things which seem
nothing to you, and they mean so much to me. I can't explain; it's just
the brotherly relation which I can't stand. It's no use suggesting that
we should be as we were before--"

She understood well enough for his purposes.

"I see," she said.

Michael paused for a moment.

"I think I'll be going now," he