y life.
What for? It is yours ... if you will take it."

She looked straight at him. "I can't marry you."

"Why can't you? Can you say that you don't love me?"

In the full-charged silence that followed a stifling emotion raced
through her blood. The excitement in her set a pulse beating in her
throat. Womanlike, she evaded the issue.

"The cable has stopped. What has happened?"

"Nothing has happened. It has stopped because I arranged with the
engineer at the hoist to have it stop. When I give the signal it will
start again."

"But...."

He brushed aside her futile protest. "I'm going to have this out with
you. Dare you tell me that you don't love me, Moya?"

He forced her to meet his eyes, and in that moment she felt weak and
faint. The throb of passion beat tumultuously against her will.

"Please ... be generous. What will they think? Let us start," she
begged.

"They will think something is wrong with the machinery. But it doesn't
matter in the least what they think. It's my last chance, and I'll not
give it up. You've got to answer me."

The point where the bucket had stopped was a hundred feet above the
ground below. She looked down, and shuddered.

"It's so far down ... please."

"Then don't look down. Look at me, Moya. It won't take you a moment to
answer me."

"I have. I said I couldn't marry you."

"Tell me that you don't love me and I'll give the signal."

"I ... don't."

"Look straight at me and say it."

She tried to look at him and repeat it, but her eyes betrayed the secret
she was fighting to keep from him. The long lashes fell to the hot
cheeks an instant too late.

His hand found hers. "My little Irish wild rose, all sweetness and
thorns," he murmured.

Above the tumult of her heart she heard her voice say, as if it were
that of a stranger, "It's no use ... I can't ... marry you."

"Because I'm a highgrader?"

She nodded.

"Do you think I'm worse than other men? Down in the bottom of your heart
do you believe that?"

She smiled wanly. "Other men are not ... making love to me."

"Am I nothing but a thief to you?"

"I have told you that you are the man I ... love. Isn't that a good
deal?"

The desire of her, pure as a flame, swept through him. "It's the
greatest thing that ever came into my life. Do you think I'm going to
let it end there? I'm going to fight for our happiness. I'm going to
beat down the things that come between us."

"You can't. It's too late," she