sn't true." He dropped down beside her and offered her his
cigarette-case. "I can be--I have been--a perfect devil sometimes."

"Yes. I know," she said, as she chose a cigarette.

"Oh, you know that, do you? How do you know?" He was watching her
closely, but as the faint colour mounted to her face, his eyes fell. "No,
don't tell me! It doesn't matter. Wait while I get you a match!"

He struck one and held it first for her and then for himself, his brown
hand absolutely steady. Then he turned with a certain resolution and
fixed his eyes upon the gleaming horizon.

"It was kind of you to come round to the sing-song last night," he said,
after a pause. "I hope it wasn't that that made you sleep badly."

"I enjoyed it," said Juliet, ignoring the last remark. "Your performance
was wonderful. I should think you are tired after it."

"That sort of thing doesn't tire me," he said. "There's no difficulty
about it when it goes with a swing and everybody is out to make it a
success. I shall get you to sing next time."

She shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Mr. Green."

"Why not?" He turned and looked at her again, his hand shading his eyes.

She hesitated.

"Do you mind telling me?" he said gently. "There is a reason of course?"

"Yes." Yet she smoked her cigarette in silence after the word as though
there were nothing more to be said.

He sat motionless, still with his hand over his eyes. At last "Juliet,"
he said, his voice very low, "am I being--a nuisance to you?"

She looked at him swiftly. He had uttered the name so spontaneously that
she wondered if he realized that he had made use of it.

He went on before she could find words to answer him. "I'm not a bounder.
At least I hope not. But--yesterday--last night--I hadn't got such a
firm hold on myself as usual. I began by being furiously angry--you
remember the episode at the gate--and that weakened my self-control.
Then--when I knew you were standing there listening--temptation came to
me, and I hadn't the strength to resist. You knew, didn't you? You
understood?"

She nodded mutely.

"Will you forgive me?" he said.

She was silent. How could she tell him what that wild passion of music
had done to her?

He went on after a moment. "I hope you'll try anyway, because I never
meant to offend you. Only somehow I felt possessed. I had to reach
you--or die. But I didn't mean to hurt you. My dear, you do believe that,
don't you? My love is more than a selfish cr