e of my pals thought I was walking out a bit beneath
myself. And this is the return I get." He jerked his hat back on his
head. "It's enough to make a chap go to the dogs and enjoy himself:
blest if it isn't!"

"I'm sorry, Wilf. I know I'm behaving like a perfect pig, but when it
comes to marrying, you must have the right sort of feeling, or where
are you?" said Caroline.

"Well, I only know one thing. I wish to goodness I had bought that
second-hand motor-bike I wanted, instead of saving up the money against
getting married! Why, I fair couldn't sleep for thinking about it: and
now Simpson has bought it. And it was all for you. And now this is
how I'm treated."

"Oh, Wilf! You never told me. I never knew about the motor-bike,"
said Caroline, taken aback.

"There's lots of things you don't know about," said Wilf. "However, if
you're bent on ending it all, I shan't try to stop you. _I_ aren't one
to force myself upon a girl that doesn't want me."

Caroline's lip began to tremble "Wilf, if I'd known about you giving
up the motor-bike I wouldn't never have spoken as I did. I do feel a
beast. But you have to think about yourself in this world or nobody'll
think for you. I can't see any reason in going on as we are doing for
years and then getting married when we're both dead sick of it all and
of each other. We only keep each other back. We should be better
free."

"Meaning you want to be free?" He had to pause a minute, owing to a
thickness in his throat. "All right. I shan't hold you to it. You go
and see if you can find a chap that can marry you straight off. That's
what you want. You'd never have broken with me if I'd had a big house
and plenty of money. I should not have been too young for you then.
You'd not have had to chuck me over then, to better yourself."

She was weeping now--very grieved to hurt him, and yet, beneath her
softness, an iron determination to do what was best for herself; no
thought of sacrifice because of his pain entering her head. "I'm so
sorry, Wilf. I'm so sorry," she murmured.

But he felt she was implacable. She was armoured by that phrase of
hers, she'd "got to do the best for herself," and he knew he had no
weapon to pierce that armour.

They both stood on the edge of the cliff in silence, looking towards
the north where the Flamborough lights gleamed out at regular intervals
across the dark water. The promenade lay behind them, a fringe of pale
lig