ul triumph. His arms were about her, and his cheek was pressed to
her own upon the pillow. Too weak herself to speak, or even to weep,
her eyes told him all she wished to say.

"Forgive me, Lena," he entreated, "forgive me before I go."

"I do, Tom, dear," she whispered. "You know I do."

Her words fell upon his soul with infinite consolation. He felt that
he had received the pardon of Heaven for his sins, and could now depart
bravely to work out his penance. Softened and exalted, he little
realised that the penance was unnecessary and self-imposed, that the
mood which now took on the heroic tone of self-sacrifice was still a
mood of self-seeking, that his love for Lena was selfish now as it had
always been, and utterly unworthy of the devotion he received. It was
true that he loved her, but he loved himself and his ambitions and
revenges more. Her forgiveness was but permission to indulge them to
the end. Nevertheless, when he found Felicity at the telephone in the
hall below, his eyes were still bright with tears. She hung up the
receiver and turned to him coldly. One glance at his face told her his
state of mind and justified her own. She had never seen him at his
worst before. Hypocritical with himself, filled with mawkish emotion
that sublimated him in his own eyes, yet still grimly bent upon his
original purpose, he had reached the very nadir of unattractiveness.

"I have sent for the doctor," she informed him, in the tone of one who
has done her duty. "He will be here soon."

"Your answer," he said hoarsely. "I cannot leave without an answer."

"I will write--soon," she returned, "but leave me now."

Without further insistence he turned from her and ran downstairs. He
was out on the sidewalk before he became aware that his head was
uncovered. He returned to the drawing-room and found his hat on the
floor, where it had fallen from his hand at Mrs. Parr's shrill alarm.
She stood there still, waiting for Felicity's return, but neither
looked at the other or spoke a word, frankly and mutually contemptuous.
The door slammed behind him a second time, and almost immediately
afterward Felicity entered.

"Well, Ella," she said, sinking into a chair, "did you ever see such an
excitement? I never had a greater shock in my life than when you
called out that she was dead. I 'm afraid she's a very delicate girl,
but she 's coming around all right, and I 've sent for the doctor."
She showed unmistakabl