e to hurt you, Boy. Your love is so beautiful. Nothing as perfect
will ever touch my life again. Yet I cannot, honestly, give what you
ask.... Boy dear, ought I to have told you, quite plainly, sooner? If
so, you must forgive me."

The Boy had risen, and stood before her. "You always do the right
thing," he said, "and never, under any circumstances, could there be
anything for me to forgive you. I have been an egregious young ass. I
have taken things for granted, all along the line. What must you think
of me! Why should you care? _You_, with your intellectual
attainments, your honours, your high standing in the world of books?
_Why_ should you care, Christobel? Why _should_ you care?"

He stood before her, straight and tall and desperately implacable. The
exuberant youth had died out of his face. For the first time, she
could not see in him her Little Boy Blue.

"Why should you care?" he said again.

She rose and faced him. "But I _do_ care, Boy," she said. "How dare
you pretend to think I don't? I care very tenderly and deeply."

"Pooh!" said the Boy. "Do you suppose I wished you to marry a
bare-toed baby, with sand on its nose?" He laughed wildly; paused and
looked at her, then laughed again. "A silly little ass that said it
didn't like girls? Oh, I say! I think it's about time I was off.
Will you walk down to the gate? ... Thanks. You are always most
awfully good to me. I say, Miss Charteris, may I ask the Professor's
name?"

"Harvey," she said, quietly. "Kenrick Harvey." The dull anguish at
her heart seemed almost more than she could bear. Yet what could she
say or do? He was merely accepting her own decision.

"Harvey?" he said. "Why of course I know him. He's not much to look
at, is he? But we always thought him an awfully good sort, and kind as
they make 'em. We considered him a confirmed bachelor; but--well, we
didn't know he was waiting."

They had reached the postern gate. Oh, would he see the growing pain
in her eyes? What was she losing? What had she lost? Why did her
whole life seem passing out through that green gate?

"Good-bye," he said, "and please forget all the rot I talked about
Jericho. It goes with the spade and bucket, and all the rest. You
have been most awfully kind to me, all along. But the very kindest
thing you can do now, is to forget all the impossible things I thought
and said... Allow me.... I'll shut the door."

He put up his hand, to