k you that question until you give me leave."

She opened her arms a second time. This time he leaned forward and
kissed her.

"Thank you, darling!"

"And now I'm going to give you your beef-tea. What made you talk like
this, Babs?"

"I wanted to know that you really loved me."

"You knew that before."

"I didn't! No, Eric, when you said good-bye that night----"

Something in his expression stopped her. He had wholly lost sight of
their earlier contention, and it was coming back to him--unsettled.

"I'm afraid things are very much where they were that night," he said.

"If I don't promise to marry you, you'll leave me? I can't promise,
Eric--yet."

There seemed a dim, treacherous comfort in the adverb, and he stayed
with her.

* * * * *

"_Wine and love bring a similar intoxication. You can refuse to
begin drinking, you can refuse to begin falling in love; (and love
at first sight of a woman is as absurd as a morbid craving for drink
at first sight of a bottle). You can trust that you will be able to
say in time, 'I can no more.' And then you will find that you only
see the turning-point when you are past it. The world then says
without pity or understanding: 'The man's drunk.'_"--From the Diary
of Eric Lane.

CHAPTER SIX

DAME'S SCHOOL EDUCATION

"ANN: I can neither take you nor let you go. . . . You must be a
sentimental old bachelor for my sake. . . . You won't have a bad
time. . . . A broken heart is a very pleasant complaint for a man
in London if he has a comfortable income."
BERNARD SHAW: "MAN AND SUPERMAN."

1

"I don't know how lately you've seen Eric," said Lady Lane, "but I'm
frightened at the way he's losing weight."

Dr. Gaisford smiled reassuringly and rang for tea.

"I've ordered him a complete rest and change for three months."

"But he won't take it! The head of his department wants him to give a
course of lectures in America, but he won't leave London. If you're more
in his confidence than I am----"

"Eric pays us both the compliment of thinking us too old to have eyes,
ears or brains--a common delusion among boys in love. No, he's told me
nothing, but he's visibly wearing himself out in adoration of a very
fascinating young woman; so, as _he_ won't go away, she shall. There's
no present cause for alarm."

"I wish I could think that. . . . Of course, you must never tell him