on
the threshold, as if waiting for Anna to speak. He was extremely pale,
but he looked neither ashamed nor uncertain, and she said to herself,
with a perverse thrill of appreciation: "He's as proud as I am."

Aloud she asked: "You wanted to see me?"

"Naturally," he replied in a grave voice.

"Don't! It's useless. I know everything. Nothing you can say will help."

At the direct affirmation he turned even paler, and his eyes, which he
kept resolutely fixed on her, confessed his misery.

"You allow me no voice in deciding that?"

"Deciding what?"

"That there's nothing more to be said?" He waited for her to answer, and
then went on: "I don't even know what you mean by 'everything'."

"Oh, I don't know what more there is! I know enough. I implored her
to deny it, and she couldn't...What can you and I have to say to each
other?" Her voice broke into a sob. The animal anguish was upon her
again--just a blind cry against her pain!

Darrow kept his head high and his eyes steady. "It must be as you wish;
and yet it's not like you to be afraid."

"Afraid?"

"To talk things out--to face them."

"It's for YOU to face this--not me!"

"All I ask is to face it--but with you." Once more he paused. "Won't you
tell me what Miss Viner told you?"

"Oh, she's generous--to the utmost!" The pain caught her like a physical
throe. It suddenly came to her how the girl must have loved him to be so
generous--what memories there must be between them!

"Oh, go, please go. It's too horrible. Why should I have to see you?"
she stammered, lifting her hands to her eyes.

With her face hidden she waited to hear him move away, to hear the door
open and close again, as, a few hours earlier, it had opened and
closed on Sophy Viner. But Darrow made no sound or movement: he too was
waiting. Anna felt a thrill of resentment: his presence was an outrage
on her sorrow, a humiliation to her pride. It was strange that he should
wait for her to tell him so!

"You want me to leave Givre?" he asked at length. She made no answer,
and he went on: "Of course I'll do as you wish; but if I go now am I not
to see you again?"

His voice was firm: his pride was answering her pride!

She faltered: "You must see it's useless----"

"I might remind you that you're dismissing me without a hearing----"

"Without a hearing? I've heard you both!"

----"but I won't," he continued, "remind you of that, or of anything or
any one but Owen."

"Owen?"

"