.... What the consul said was true,
so ... dearest--but I mustn't ever call you dearest again."

"Claire-Anne!"

"Well, then--dearest, you see why I couldn't marry you when you asked."
She laughed bitterly. "If you had only known...."

He took a terrible grip on himself, faced her, looked at her.

"Claire-Anne, will you marry me now?"

"I don't know why you say it, but I know one thing: you are true. And I
thank you ... but please don't make me cry any more. I have cried so
much when you were away.... If only five years ago before I was ...
_estropiee_ ... crippled....

"Destiny...."

Section 11

Dusk had gone; darkness had come, and now darkness itself would leave
soon, for the third quarter of a great saffron moon showed its edge in
the eastward. Marseilles was like the pale light of a candle. And a
great palpable darkness had settled like water in the hollow of the
woods.

"Dearest"--her voice took sudden strength--"will you forgive me? I don't
say that just as if I'd done a small wrong. But will a big power come
out of your heart and say: 'It's all right, Claire-Anne. I understood.'
It will be so much for me to know that--in the days when you are gone--"

"But, Claire-Anne, I'm not gone--"

"You must go, dearest. You must go now. Don't you see?" Her voice grew
gentle. "You couldn't stay any more. It wouldn't be like you, somehow.
And I wouldn't have you spoiled in my eyes ... darling, you could never
be ... but you must go...."

"And you, Claire-Anne--"

"Destiny ... a long, lean finger ... a path...."

"But you never know--"

"We know, we poor women, Shane. We know.... Shane, don't you understand
... what makes the ... girl in the archway, the emperor's mistress,
drink, take ether ... do strange horrors?.... They know.... And they
want to escape from seeing it ... for an instant even ... the terrible
story of the _Belle Heaulmiere_ ... the 'Armorer's Daughter':

_"Ainsi le bon temps regretons
Entre nous, pauvres vielles sotes,
Assises bas, a crouppetons,
Tout en ung tas commes pelotes_,
_A petit feu de chenevotes
Tost allumees, tost estaintes:
Et jadis fusmes si mignotes!...
Ainsi emprent a maintes et maintes._

"Do you understand, Shane, do you understand? So we regret the good old
times, poor old light women, gathered together like fagots, and
hunkering over a straw fire, soon lit, soon out--_tost allumees, tost
estaintes_ ... and once we were so dainty. To many