you a hundred times--yes, and lied to you. You bore with me over
and over again, even when you knew I wasn't being straight. You did your
very utmost to keep me true. You trusted me even when you knew I was
cheating. Oh, I don't wonder that I killed your love at last. The wonder
was that it lived so long."

She stopped, for his hand had clenched upon itself at her words. But he
said nothing. He seemed to be waiting for her to continue. She went on
quickly--

"I know you feel you must be kind to me now because"--she caught her
breath--"Bertie is gone, and he wished it so. But--but--I shan't
expect--a great deal. I--I shall be quite grateful--if I may have--a
little friendship. I don't want you to think that--that--"

"That you want my love?" he said.

"Oh, I didn't mean that!" She looked up at him in distress, but she could
not see his face with any distinctness.

His elbow was on the arm of his chair, and his hand shaded it.

"I know I forfeited all that," she said. "And I want you to feel that
I--understand, and shall never expect to have it again. That is what I
mean when I say, don't be too kind to me. You have been that, and much
more than that, already. But I won't trade on your generosity. I am not a
child any longer to need support and protection. I am old enough to stand
alone."

"And what of my promise to Bertrand?"

He asked the question quite quietly, as though it were of no special
moment to him, but she flinched before it, and turned her face aside.

"Oh, I don't think he would want you to be kind to me for his sake--if he
knew how much it hurt?"

Mordaunt was silent for a moment, then: "And you have no use for my
love?" he said.

She made a movement almost convulsive. "Trevor, don't--torture me!"

"My child," he said, "I only ask because I need to know."

She laid a trembling hand on his. "If I thought--you loved me--" She
stopped, battling desperately for self-control, and after a few seconds
began again. "If I thought--you wanted me--"

"I do want you, Chris," he said.

She cast a startled look into his face. "Oh, but you only say that
because--because--"

"Because it is the truth," he said.

"But is it the truth?" she asked, a little wildly. "Is it? Is it? Oh,
Trevor, if you knew--if you knew--" Her voice failed. She began to sob.
"I can't bear it," she whispered. "I can't! I can't!" And with that she
broke down utterly, bowing her head upon his knee in a passion of weeping
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