inspired the night of his confession. Again he
rallied to defend her--from her own pitiless sense of honour.

"By heaven!" he cried. "It shall not be good-bye. I will accept your
terms, live up to them, and dare the future."

"Good, old Con! And now, please, dear, go. I think--I think I am going
to cry--a little and"--she looked up quiveringly--"I mustn't have red
eyes at dinner time. Brace and Betty are coming. Thank heaven, Con,
Betty will make us laugh."

CHAPTER XVIII

Having agreed upon this period of probation both Lynda and Truedale
entered upon it with characteristic determination. There were times when
Conning dejectedly believed that no woman could act as Lynda was doing,
if she loved a man. No, it was not in woman's power to forego all Lynda
was foregoing if she loved deeply. Not that Lynda could be said to be
cold or indifferent; she had never been sweeter, truer; but she was so
amazingly serene!

Perhaps she was content, having secured his rights for him, to go on and
be thankful that so little was actually exacted from her.

But such reasoning eventually shamed Truedale, and he acknowledged that
there was something superb in a woman who, while still loving a man, was
able to withhold herself from him until both he and she had sounded the
depths of their natures.

In this state of mind Truedale devoted himself to business, and Lynda,
with a fresh power that surprised even herself, resumed her own tasks.

"And this is _love_," she often thought to herself, "it is the real
thing. Some women think they have love when _love has them_. This
beautiful, tangible something that is making even these days sacred has
proved itself. I can rely upon it--lean heavily upon it."

Sometimes she wondered what she was waiting for. Often she feared, in
her sad moments, that it might last forever--be accepted this poor
counterfeit for the real--and the full glory escape her and Truedale.

But at her best she knew what she was waiting for--what was coming. It
was something that, driving all else away, would carry her and Conning
together without reservations or doubts. They would _know!_ He would
know the master passion of his life; she, that she could count all lost
unless she made his life complete and so crown her own.

The money was never mentioned. In good and safe investments it lay,
awaiting a day, so Truedale told McPherson, when it could be got rid of
without dishonour or disgrace.

"But, good hea