Corinna: "I'm coming back."

"Indeed you're not!" she retorted, glancing significantly at the key in
the door.

"Then I won't go," said Evan coolly turning back into the room.

Corinna bit her lip. Clearly, Evan offered her a new set of problems
in the management of men. Anway sought to enter again, but she stopped
him.

"Please go, Leonard," she murmured. "This is too absurd!"

The whispered colloquy was perfectly audible to Evan.

Anway said: "But I don't like to leave you alone with----"

She laughed slightly. "Nonsense! I can take care of myself!"

"But, Corinna, if I go he'll think I----"

"I will put him straight as to that."

"Corinna," this low and thick, "what is this man to you?"

"No more than you--or any of my friends."

"But, Corinna----"

"Go!"

He went step by step with heavy feet on the stairs.

Corinna came into the room leaving the door open. Her eyes were bright
with anger. "Well, you won your pitiful little victory over the boy,"
she said scornfully. "I hope you're pleased with yourself!"

The blood began to pound in Evan's temples. "Don't speak to me like
that!" he said thickly. "I am no tame thing!"

"You may go," she said.

He smiled. "Not so easily!"

"Then I will."

"Where will you go?"

"To Miss Sisson's room."

Evan laughed. He had not much fear of that.

"What's the matter with you?" she demanded.

For a brief instant he seemed to catch a glimpse inside himself and was
aghast at what was stewing there. "God knows!" he said helplessly.

Corinna took heart at this evidence of weakness. "Then go away until
you come to your senses," she said imperiously.

Evan flushed darkly. "I will not go!" he said.

They stared at each other.

Finally words began to come to Evan, at first haltingly: "Last
night--you sang to me. Love songs--that drew the very heart out of
me----"

She made an indignant movement.

"Oh, I know what you're going to say, they were just songs that you
might sing to anybody. But you sung them to me--in a warm and tender
voice, knowing that my ears were hungry for the sounds. You sang down
all my defenses. You sang to me until I was soft and helpless. You
sang me to your feet. I offered you myself--all there is of me body
and soul. And you took me!--Oh, I know you made conditions, what did I
care? I scarcely heard them. What do words matter at such moments? I
offered you my love, and you took it. I felt from that moment