Now I understand what Lecky meant when he spoke of the sacrificial
office of a certain type of women ... I only wish ... but come, we must
go."

I was on my feet beside her, as she rose.

"Yes, we had better go home," I spoke quietly, though my heart pumped as
if I had taken strychnine.

I put my arms about her, to steady her going, for she stumbled.

"Why, Hildreth, dearest woman, you're trembling all over, what's the
matter?... have I--I frightened you with my wild talk?"

"Never mind ... no, take your arm away ... Let me walk alone a minute
and I'll be all right ... I'll be all right in a minute ... it's just
turned a trifle chilly, that's all."

"Hush!" going down the path by the big house, Hildreth stopped,
hesitated. "I'm--I'm not going to the little cottage to-night."

"Then I'll say good-night!"

"No, come on in and we'll sneak out to the kitchen and find something to
eat ... aren't you hungry?"

"A little bit. But I'm afraid we might wake Ruth and Darrie up."

We tip-toed in. Hildreth searching for the matches, knocked the
wash-basin to the floor. We stood hushed like mice.

"Who's down there?" asked Darrie's voice, with a dash of hysteria in it
... of hysteria and fright.

"Damn it, there's Darrie waked up."

"Such a clatter would wake anyone up!"

_"Who's there, I say!"_

"It's only me, Darrie ... I got hungry in the night and came up to the
house to snatch a bite to eat."

"Oh ... I'm coming down to join you, then."

We saw Darrie standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes luminous and
wide with emotion.

She stood, rosy-bodied, in her night-dress, which was transparent in the
light of the lamp she carried....

"Johnnie's here, too!" warned Hildreth.

"Oh!" cried Darrie, and turned back, to re-appear in her kimono.

"I'm sorry we waked you up. But I knocked that infernal basin down off
the sink."

"You didn't wake me. I was awake already. I haven't slept a wink."

"Neither have we!" I responded.

"What?" Darrie asked me in so startled, impulsive a manner that Hildreth
and I laughed ... and she laughed a little, too ... and then grew grave
again....

"It was such a beautiful night, Johnnie and I took a walk in the
moonlight."

Darrie looked from one to the other of us with a wide, staring look.

"You needn't look that way, Darrie!"

"Please, please, Hildreth!"

"You and Penton have taken walks in the moonlight."

"Hildreth, dear, I'm not rebuking you ... and you know m