t you mean?'

She gave him no answer, but her steadfast eyes looked into his and their
light was cold, there was no glimmer of affection in them.

'You never loved me, Chris?'

She continued silent; she had wrought herself to a certain point, to what
she believed to be a duty, and she could only maintain the tension by
exerting all her energies.

'What have I done to be treated like this?' he continued. 'I did all I
could to spare you. I would have spared him, too, if it'd been in my
power.'

'You were generous. Yes, you did all you could; for that I will be
grateful to you all my life.'

'And I love you--I love you! I want love, not gratitude, Chris--your
love.'

'You must forget me!

He approached her more closely, and his voice had lost its pleading tone.

'On the night of the arrest,' he said, 'you told me you had deceived
all--lied to all; did you lie to me?'

He paused for a reply, but she did not speak, and he continued fiercely:

'Did you lie to me when you said you loved me? Was that a lie? Was it a
trap?'

'It does not matter now, Harry; all is over, all.'

'An' you did lie to me. You lied because you thought I'd give your father
up if my love was not returned. My God! you thought I took advantage
of--'

'No, no, no!' she cried, 'not that. I thought no ill of you, I think
none. Think what you will of me.'

'But I was fooled--cruelly, bitterly fooled. You needn't have done it,
Chris. I'd rather have died than have added to your sufferings. Your
trick wasn't necessary. I cared more for you than you'll ever know.'

Her hands trembled at her sides and her lips moved, but her eyes remained
steadfast.

'I know your good heart, Harry,' she said in a voice almost harsh from
the restraint put upon her. 'I will bless you and pray for you while I
live, but I can never be your wife. You are mad to think of me. Some day
you will be glad I refused to listen to you, and grateful to me for what
I have done.'

'Grateful!' he cried. 'To be grateful I must learn to hate you. I'll go
an' learn that lesson.'

He turned from her and strode towards the gate, but there he paused with
his arm upon the bar, and presently he moved back to her side.

'I can't go like that, dear,' he said, seizing her hand again, 'nothing
on earth can ever make me anything but your lover, an' nothing can make
me believe you lied when you said you loved me. Your kisses were not
lies. Speak to me--say that you did love me a little