might
put away the precious child she was sacrificing tenderly, agonizingly, but
finally. He put her from him thus and stood a moment looking at her, while
she almost sparkled her pleasure at him through the tears. She felt that
she had won.

But gradually the silence grew ominous. She perceived he was not smiling.
His mien was like one who looks into an open grave, and gazes for the last
time at all that remains of one who is dear. He did not seem like one who
had yielded a moral point and was ready now to serve her as she would. She
grew uneasy under his gaze. She moved forward and put out her hands
inviting, yielding, as only such a woman could do, and the spell which
bound him seemed to be broken. He fumbled for a moment in his waistcoat
pocket and brought out a large roll of bills which he laid upon the table,
and taking up his hat turned toward the door. A cold wave of weakness
seemed to pass over her, stung here and there by mortal pride that was in
fear of being wounded beyond recovery.

"Where are you going?" she asked weakly, and her voice sounded to her from
miles away, and strange.

He turned and looked at her again and she knew the look meant farewell. He
did not speak. Her whole being rose for one more mighty effort.

"You are not going to leave me--now?" There was angelic sweetness in the
voice, pleading, reproachful, piteous.

"I must!" he said, and his voice sounded harsh. "I have just done that for
which, were I your husband, I would feel like killing any other man. I
must protect you against yourself,--against myself. You must be kept pure
before God if it kills us both. I would gladly die if that could help you,
but I am not even free to do that, for I belong to another."

Then he turned and was gone.

Kate's hands fell to her sides, and seemed stiff and lifeless. The bright
color faded from her cheeks, and a cold frenzy of horror took possession
of her. "Pure before God!" She shuddered at the name, and crimson shame
rolled over forehead and cheek. She sank in a little heap on the floor
with her face buried in the chair beside which she had been standing, and
the waters of humiliation rolled wave on wave above her. She had failed,
and for one brief moment she was seeing her own sinful heart as it was.

But the devil was there also. He whispered to her now the last sentence
that David had spoken: "I belong to another!"

Up to that moment Marcia had been a very negative factor in the affair to