he said in a curious
dragging voice: "Very well, then; I must tell him about the pass. Oh,
what shall I do if he minds! It's his minding--" She stopped, as if the
words broke something in her.

"Yes," said Miss Marley; "but he'll mind more if he ruins your life.
You see, you won't think you're ruined, but Winn will think so. He'll
believe he's ruined the woman he loves, and after a little time, when
his passion has ceased to ride him blind, he'll never hold up his head
again. You'll be responsible for that." It sounded cruel, but it was not
cruel. Miss Marley knew that as long as she laid the responsibility at
Claire's door, Claire would not think her cruel.

Claire repeated slowly after her:

"I should be responsible for that!" Then she said: "Oh, how silly laws
are! How silly! As if any one could be ruined who simply loved!"

"We should probably be sillier without laws," Miss Marley observed. "And
you must remember they have their recommendations: they keep silly
people comparatively safe."

"Safe!" said Claire. "I think that's the emptiest, poorest word there
is! Who wants to be safe?"

"You wouldn't think so if you had a child," said Miss Marley, quietly.
"You would need safety then, and you would learn to prize it."

Claire bowed her head into her hands.

"Oh, why can't I have one now! Why can't I?" she whispered brokenly.

Miss Marley bit her lips; she had hoped Claire was too young for this
particular stab.

"Because he'd think it wrong," said Miss Marley after a pause, "and
because of Peter. He's got that obligation. The two would clash."

Claire rose slowly to her feet.

"I'll just go and tell him about the pass," she said quietly. "When it's
over I'll begin to think; but I needn't really think till then, need I?
Because I feel as if I couldn't just now; it would stop my going on."

Miss Marley said that she was quite sure that Claire need not begin to
think at present and privately she hoped that, when that hour came,
something might happen which would deaden thought. She was thankful to
remember that the worst of feeling is always over before the worst of
thinking can begin. But Claire was too young to comfort herself with the
limitations of pain. She only knew that she must tell Winn about the
pass and seem for a moment at least, in his eyes, not to trust him.
Nevertheless, she smiled at Miss Marley before she left her, because she
didn't want Miss Marley to feel upset; and Miss Marley accepte