went on, "I kept up the miserable
farce. As you know, we never loved each other. Then he died, and I found
I couldn't bear it any longer. There was no reason why I should. I went
away. I should never have seen you again, only Mrs. Chester would take
no refusal. And I had put it all away from me by that time. I felt it
did not greatly matter if we did meet. Nothing seemed of much importance
till that day I saw you on the polo ground, carrying all before
you--Achilles triumphant! That day I began to hate you again." A faint
smile drew the corners of her mouth. "I think you suspected it," she
said, "but your suspicions were soon lulled to rest. Did it never cross
your mind to wonder how we came to pair on that night of the river
picnic? I accused you of cheating, do you remember? And you were quite
indignant." A glimmer of the old gay mischief shone for a fleeting
second through her tragedy. "That was the first move in the game," she
said. "At least you never suspected me of that."

"No; you had me there." There was a ring of sternness in Hone's voice.
"So that was the beginning?" he said.

She nodded.

"And it would have been the end also, if you would have suffered it. For
that very night I ceased to hate you." A faint flush tinged her pale
face. "I would have let you off," she said. "I didn't want to go on. But
you would not have it so. You came after me. You wouldn't leave me
alone, even though I warned you--I warned you that I wasn't worth your
devotion. And so"--again her voice trembled--"you had to have your
lesson after all."

"And do you know what it has taught me?"

Again there sounded in his voice that new mastery that had so strangely
overwhelmed her.

She shrank a little as it reached her, and turned her face aside. "I can
guess," she said.

"And is it good at guessing that you are?"

He drew nearer to her with the words, but he did not offer to touch her.

She stood motionless, her head bent lest he should see, and understand,
the piteous quivering of her lips. With immense effort she made reply:

"It has taught you to hate and despise me, as--as I deserve."

"Faith!" he said. "You think that--honestly now?"

The mastery had all gone out of his voice. It was soft with that
caressing quality she knew of old--that tenderness, half-humorous,
half-persuasive, that had won her heart so long, so long ago. She did
not answer him--for she could not.

He waited for the space of a score of seconds, sta