ut I can't say I was ever sorry before.
Even--Estelle--well, I don't want to be nasty about her--but it was only
different, I can see that now, because I knew I couldn't get what I
wanted without marrying her--still--I somehow think I'd made a kind of a
start that time--only I got pulled up too short. I dare say I quite
deserved it. That's no way of liking a woman. When you do _really_, you
know all the rest's been half twaddle and half greed. Your father and
mother are all right--so are mine really, though they do blow each
other's heads off--still, there's something there--you know what I
mean?"

"Something indestructible and uniting--" said Lionel quietly. "I've
often wondered about it."

"Well, I've never wondered about it," said Winn, firmly, "and I'm not
going to begin now. Still, I admit it's there. What I'm getting at is
that there's something I want you to do for me. You'll probably think
I'm mad, but I can't help that. It'll work out all right in the end, if
you'll do it."

"You can ask me anything you like," said Lionel, quietly; "any damned
thing. I don't suppose I'll refuse to do it."

The water broke into a prolonged gurgle under their feet; it sounded
uncannily like some derisive listener. There was nothing in sight at
all--not even their shadows on the unlighted snows.

"Well--there's a girl here," Winn said in a low voice; "it's not very
easy to explain. I haven't told her about Estelle; I meant to, but I
couldn't. I'm afraid you'll think I haven't played the game, but I
haven't made love to her; only I can't stay any longer; I've got to
clear out."

Lionel nodded. "All right," he said; "let's go wherever you like; there
are plenty of other snow places jollier than this."

"That isn't what I want," said Winn. "I want you to stay with her. I
want you to marry her eventually--d' you see? It's quite simple,
really."

"By Jove," said Lionel, thoughtfully; "simple, d' you call it? As simple
as taking a header into the mid-Atlantic! And what good would it do you,
my dear old chap, if I did? It wouldn't be you that had got her?"

"I dare say not," said Winn; "you don't see my point. She'd be all right
with you. What I want for the girl is for her to be taken care of. She
hasn't any people to speak of, and she's up here now with a rotten,
unlicked cub of a brother. I fancy she's the kind of girl that would
have a pretty hideous time with the wrong man. I've got to know she's
being looked after. D' y