"It is not so one-sided as you seem to think it is," he began. "I was
doing very nicely on Berande before you came. At least I was not
suffering indignities, such as being accused of cowardly conduct, as you
have just accused me. Remember--please remember, I did not invite you to
Berande. Nor did I invite you to stay on at Berande. It was by staying
that you brought about this--to you--unpleasant situation. By staying
you made yourself a temptation, and now you would blame me for it. I did
not want you to stay. I wasn't in love with you then. I wanted you to
go to Sydney; to go back to Hawaii. But you insisted on staying. You
virtually--"

He paused for a softer word than the one that had risen to his lips, and
she took it away from him.

"Forced myself on you--that's what you meant to say," she cried, the
flags of battle painting her cheeks. "Go ahead. Don't mind my
feelings."

"All right; I won't," he said decisively, realizing that the discussion
was in danger of becoming a vituperative, schoolboy argument. "You have
insisted on being considered as a man. Consistency would demand that you
talk like a man, and like a man listen to man-talk. And listen you
shall. It is not your fault that this unpleasantness has arisen. I do
not blame you for anything; remember that. And for the same reason you
should not blame me for anything."

He noticed her bosom heaving as she sat with clenched hands, and it was
all he could do to conquer the desire to flash his arms out and around
her instead of going on with his coolly planned campaign. As it was, he
nearly told her that she was a most adorable boy. But he checked all
such wayward fancies, and held himself rigidly down to his disquisition.

"You can't help being yourself. You can't help being a very desirable
creature so far as I am concerned. You have made me want you. You
didn't intend to; you didn't try to. You were so made, that is all. And
I was so made that I was ripe to want you. But I can't help being
myself. I can't by an effort of will cease from wanting you, any more
than you by an effort of will can make yourself undesirable to me."

"Oh, this desire! this want! want! want!" she broke in rebelliously. "I
am not quite a fool. I understand some things. And the whole thing is
so foolish and absurd--and uncomfortable. I wish I could get away from
it. I really think it would be a good idea for me to marry Noa Noah, or
Adamu Adam, or