tand?" he asked, lazily humorous.

"Do you mean--that you offer me--an opportunity--"

"Yes; an opportunity to exercise patience. It's an offer, Miss West. But
I'm perfectly certain you won't take it."

For a long while she sat, her cheek resting on one palm, looking fixedly
into space. Then she stirred, glanced up, blushed vividly, sprang to her
feet and crossed to where he sat.

"I've been considering your offer," she said, striving to speak without
effort.

"I'll bet you won't accept it!"

"You win your wager, Mr. Neville."

"I wonder why?" he said with his bantering smile: "but I think I know.
Talent in America is seldom intellectually ambitious."

To his amazement and vexation tears sprang to her eyes; she said, biting
her lower lip: "My ambition is humble. I care--more than anything in the
world--to be of use to--to your career."

Taken completely by surprise he said, "Nonsense," and rose to confront
her where she stood wholly charming in her nervous, flushed emotion:

"It isn't nonsense, Mr. Neville; it is my happiness.

"I don't believe you realise what your career means to me. I would not
willingly consider anything that might interrupt my humble part in
it--in this happy companionship.... After all, happiness is the
essential. You said so once. I am happier here than I possibly could be
in an isolation where I might perhaps study--learn--" Her voice broke
deliciously as he met her gaze in cool, curious disapproval.

[Illustration: "For a long while she sat, her cheek resting on one palm,
looking fixedly into space."]

"You _can't_ understand it!" she said, flushing almost fiercely. "You
can't comprehend what the daily intimacy with a man of your sort has
done--is doing for me every moment of my life. How can you understand?
You, who have your own place in the world--in life--in this country--in
this city! You, who have family, friends, clubs, your social life in
city and country, and abroad. Life is very full for you--has always
been. But--what I am now learning in contact with you and with the
people to whom you have introduced me--is utterly new to
me--and--very--pleasant.... I have tasted it; I cannot live without it
now."

She drew a deep quick breath, then, looking up at him with a tremulous
smile:

"What would you think if I told you that, until Sam took me, I had never
even been inside a theatre except when I was engaged by Schindler? It is
perfectly true. Mother did not approve. Unti