te, she said good-night, quickly, and would have gone in without
another word, but Jerome stopped her. He had begun to understand her
understanding of it all, and had taken a sudden resolution. "Better
anything than she should think herself shamed and slighted," he told
himself.

"Will you wait just a minute?" he said; "I've got something I want to
say."

Lucina waited, her face averted.

"I've made up my mind to tell you why I thought I ought not to come,
that Sunday night," said Jerome; "I didn't think of telling you, but
I can see now that you may think I meant to slight you, if I don't. I
did not think at first that you could dream I _could_ slight anybody
like you, and not want to go to see you, but I begin to see that you
don't just know how every one looks at you."

"I thought I ought not to come, because all of a sudden I found out
that I was--what they call in love with you."

Lucina stood perfectly still, her face turned away.

"I hope you are not offended," said Jerome; "I knew, of course, that
there is no question of--your liking me. I would not want you to. I
am not telling you for that, but only that you may not feel hurt
because I slighted your invitation the other night, and because I
thought at first I could not accept this. But I was foolish about it,
I guess. If you would like to have me come, that is enough."

"You have not known me long enough to like me," said Lucina, in a
very small, sweet voice, still keeping her face averted.

"I guess time don't count much in anything like this," said Jerome.

"Well," said Lucina, with a soft, long breath, "I cannot see why your
liking me should hinder you from coming."

"I guess you're right; it shouldn't if you want me to come."

"Why did you ever think it should?" Lucina flashed her blue eyes
around at him a second, then looked away again.

"I was afraid if--I saw you too often I should want to marry you so
much that I would want nothing else, not even to help other people,"
said Jerome.

"Why need you think about marrying? Can't you come to see me like a
friend? Can't we be happy so?" asked Lucina, with a kind of wistful
petulance.

"I needn't think about it, and we can--"

"I don't want to think about marrying yet," said Lucina; "I don't
know as I shall ever marry. I don't see why you should think so much
about that."

"I don't," said Jerome; "I shall never marry."

"You will, some time," Lucina said, softly.

"No; I never shall."