. They're for Christine. It'll make it easier for us. You
didn't mean this to happen. It was the sun and wind--it goes to one's
head like being out of prison after years and years. You mustn't make
a mistake. You would never forgive yourself or me. I'd understand if
you said: 'It was just to-day and being happy.' But I won't play at
our being in love with one another, Robert."

"It isn't a mistake, I'm not playing. I don't pretend I meant to let
you know. I was frightened. I wanted to hold fast to you. But I've
been sure ever since that night at Brown's----"

"And yet you wanted to avoid me----"

He nodded. Ho knelt beside her, very white and earnest, with his hands
clenched on his thighs.

"That was because I knew. I didn't think about it. But I knew all
right. And I was afraid it would upset everything to care."

"Doesn't it?"

"Not caring for you. Of course, I know all about life. I'm young and
I've never looked at a girl. I've always realized that it would be
natural to fall in love--perhaps worse than most men--and that if it
was with a girl like Cosgrave's it would be sheer damnation. I'd have
to fight it down. But loving you is different. It'll make me
stronger. I'll work harder and better because I love you. I'll do
bigger things because of you."

Her head was bowed over her primroses. The sunlight falling between
the trees on her wild brown hair kindled a smouldering colour in its
disorder. He watched her, fascinated and abashed by the knowledge that
she was smiling to herself. And suddenly, roughly like an ashamed boy,
he took a grey and blood-stained rag from his inner pocket and tossed
it into her lap.

"Do you remember that?"

She picked it up gingerly, amusedly.

"Is it a handkerchief, Robert?"

"Don't you remember it?" he repeated with triumph, as though in some
way he had beaten her.

For a moment she was silent. And when she looked at him her eyes were
no longer smiling.

"You kept it like that----?"

"I wouldn't even wash it. I hid it. It's got dirtier and dirtier."

"It must be horribly germy, Robert. We'll wash it together. As
members of the medical profession we couldn't have it on our
conscience----"

They laughed then, freely, out of the depth of their happiness. She
laid her hand in his and he bent his head to kiss it.

"You do trust me, Francey?"

"Trust you?"

"You don't think it's weak of me to love you? You know I'll pass my
finals