suddenly Otley halted, and in a thick hoarse voice quite unusual
to him, said:

"Peggy. I--I have something to say to you. I--I have to go back to
London."

"To London--why?" gasped the girl in dismay.

"Because--well, because I can't bear to be here with the glaring truth
ever before me--that I----"

"What do you mean?" she asked, laying her hand upon his arm.

"I mean, dearest," he said in a low, hard voice, "I mean that we can
never marry. There is a barrier between us--a barrier of disgrace!"

"Of disgrace!" she gasped. "Oh! do explain, dear."

"The explanation is quite simple," he replied in a tone of despair.
"You asked me in Paris what worried me. Well, Peggy, I'll confess to
you," he went on, lowering his voice, his eyes downcast. "I am not
worthy your love, and I here renounce it, for--for I am a thief!"

"A thief!" she echoed. "How?"

"I've been hard up of late, and at the motor show I sold three cars,
for which I have not accounted to the firm. The books will be audited
next week and my defalcations discovered. I have no means of repaying
the four thousand five hundred pounds, and therefore I shall be
arrested and sent to prison as a common thief. That's briefly the
position!"

The girl was speechless at such staggering revelations. Charlie--a
thief! It seemed incredible.

"But have you no means whatever of raising the money?" she asked at
last, her face pale, while the gloved hand that lay upon his arm
trembled.

"None. I've tried all my friends, but money is so difficult to raise
nowadays. No, Peggy," he added with suppressed emotion, "let me go my
own way--and try to forget me. Now that I am in disgrace it is only
right that I should make a clean breast of it to you, and then you
alone will understand why I have made excuse to Lady Teesdale and
left."

"Oh, you mustn't do that, dear," she urged. "Stay over the week-end!
Something will turn up. Do please me by staying."

"I feel that I really can't," he answered. "I'm an outsider to have
thus brought unhappiness on you, but it is my fault. I am alone to
blame. You must have your freedom and forget me. I took the money to
pay a debt of honor, thinking that I could repay it by borrowing
elsewhere. But I find I can't, therefore I must face the music next
week. Even if I ran away I should soon be found and arrested."

"Poor boy!" sighed the girl, stroking his cheek tenderly, while in her
eyes showed the light of unshed tears. "Don't worry.