u I should follow you--and bring you back?"

She shrank at his words. "I can't come--I can't come!" she said.

"You will come, Juliet," he said quietly.

"No--no!" She lifted her head in sudden passionate protest. "Not to
be tortured! I can't face it! Before God I would rather--I would
rather--die!"

He answered her with flame that leaped to hers. "And don't you think I
would rather die than let you go?"

"Ah!" she said, and no more; for the fierce possession of his hold
checked all remonstrance.

She sought to hide her face again, but he would not suffer it, and in the
end with an anguished sound she ceased to battle with him and sank down
in utter weakness in his hold.

He lifted her then, but he did not kiss her. He found the sofa and
laid her down upon it. Then she heard him feeling along the wall for
the switch.

She reached out a quivering hand and pressed it, then as the light glowed
she turned from him, covering her eyes from his look. He stood for a few
seconds gazing down at her, almost as if at a loss.

And while he so stood, there arose a sudden deep throbbing that mingled
with the splash of water, and the yacht ceased to rise and fall and
thrilled into movement.

Juliet gave a great start. "Dick! What are they doing? Oh, stop
them--stop them!"

He stooped and caught her outflung hands. His eyes looked deeply into
hers. "They are obeying--my orders," he said.

"Yours?" She gazed up at him incredulously, shivering all over as if
in an ague.

His face told her nothing. It was implacable, granite-like, save for
the eyes, and from those she shrank uncontrollably as though they
pierced her.

"Yes, mine," he said sombrely. "I have--something to teach you,
Juliet--something that you can only learn--alone with me. And till you
have learnt it, there will be no going back."

She bent her head to avoid the unwavering directness of his look.
"You--are going to hurt me--punish me," she said under her breath.

His hands still held hers, and strangely there was something sustaining
as well as relentless in their grasp.

"It may hurt you," he said. "I don't feel I know you well enough to
judge. As to punishing you--" he paused a moment--"well, I think you have
punished yourself enough already."

Again a great tremor went through her,--a tremor that ended in a sob. She
bent her head a little lower to hide her tears. But they fell upon his
hands and she could not check them. Her throat worked convulsiv