I mean--have
to do."

"I shall walk home with you," said Dick sharply, and he drew her aside
into the shadow, as though ashamed of being seen, and piloted her in
silence to the sidewalk. Lena gave a little sob as he drew her arm
through his, and still they walked on until the lights of the great
house grew dim in the distance and only the quiet of the city streets by
night enveloped them.

"Ought you not to go back now? You'll lose all the pleasure," said Lena
timidly.

"Are you doing much of this kind of thing?" Dick demanded.

"This is the first time."

"I hope it will be the last," he answered glumly.

"So do I--I don't like it," whispered Lena.

"I--I can't endure it--Lena!" Lena started as she heard her name. "Lena,
come over here into the park for just a moment. I want to talk to you."

"I can't. It's awfully cold, and--" said Lena, but she followed his lead
as she remonstrated.

"And you have on a wretched little thin coat. Why aren't you decently
dressed?"

"I haven't anything." Lena spoke under her breath. Dick stamped his foot
as a substitute for a curse, whipped off his heavy great-coat, wrapped
her in it, and pushed her down on to a bench.

"Lena," he said, standing squarely in front of her, "I know I've no
right to hope for anything--no right to speak, even, when you know me so
little; but, by Heaven, I can't endure to see you grinding out your life
in this way, when there's even a chance that you will let me prevent it.
You flower of a girl, you! Oh, Lena, I love you--I love you!"

He caught a small white hand that held together the heavy coat, and
kissed it in a kind of frenzy, while Lena, rigid with desire to be quite
sure what this signified, peered stolidly at him from over the big
collar. She was too wise in her generation to leap to conclusions about
the ultimate meaning of Dick's passion. She would not unbottle any
emotion until she knew.

"Lena, if you could see how I love you, you'd trust me, I think, even
with yourself. If you will be my wife--"

Something in Lena seemed to break, and she gave a gasp of relief and
gratitude that was almost prayer and approached love. Then she buried
her face in her hands and sobbed aloud, as Dick put both arms around her
and drew her head to his shoulder.

"Lena, can you--do you love me a little?" he whispered, as if in awe.

"Oh, Mr. Percival," said Lena, "I do! How could I help it? But I could
not dream of your loving poor little insignific