he retreated, frightened,
to where Peter Grimm stood surveying the lover with keen approbation.

"No, no!" she warned. "You mustn't, James. It isn't right--don't."

Her next backward step brought her close to Peter Grimm. And the Dead
Man, with a swift motion of his hand, waved her forward into her lover's
outstretched arms.

Through no conscious volition of her own, Kathrien sped straight onward,
unswerving, unfaltering into the strong circle of those arms for whose
warm refuge she had so guiltily felt herself longing.

"No!" she panted, in dutiful resistance.

But the negation was lost against Hartmann's broad breast as he pressed
her closely to him.

"I love you!" he repeated over and over in a daze of rapture.

Then in awed wonder:

"And you love _me_, Kathrien!"

"No, no--don't make me say it, dear heart!"

"I _shall_ make you say it. It is true. You do love me!"

"What matter if I do?" wailed the girl. "It wouldn't change matters."

"Kathrien!"

"Please don't say anything more. I can't bear it."

Gently, reluctantly, she sought to release herself from that wonderful
embrace. But Hartmann now needed no Spirit Guest to urge him to hold his
own.

"I'm not going to let you go," he cried, kissing her white, upturned
face till the red glowed back into it. "I won't give you up, Kathrien. I
_won't_ give you up!"

"You must," she insisted, struggling more fiercely against herself than
against him. "You must, dear. I can't break my promise to Oom Peter.
I----"

The front door opened. The lovers sprang apart. Frederik entered,
glancing quickly from one to the other of them.

"Oh!" he observed. "You in here, Hartmann? I thought I'd find you in the
office. I've some unopened mail of my uncle's to glance over. Then I'll
join you there."

Hartmann took the broad hint, nodded, and left the room. Frederik's eyes
followed him steadily until the door closed behind the young intruder.
Then he turned to where Kathrien crouched, panting, bewildered,
trembling. Frederik abruptly went over to her, and, before she could
guess his purpose, kissed her full on the lips.

Involuntarily the girl recoiled as from some loathly thing.

"Don't!" she exclaimed, fighting for her shaken self-control. "Please
don't!"

"Why not?" he snapped.

She did not answer.

"Has Hartmann been talking to you?"

She moved toward the stair-foot.

"Just a moment, please," Frederik interposed, hurrying forward to catch
up with her b