an's earnestness that had made him do it.

"No, no; it ees not words for-a ze wire zat I have-a for you," he said.
"I wish-a to tell to yourself something. Will you lees-ten?"

"Yes, if it is something that I ought to hear."

"Thees eez it. I am a-more than I seem here--deef-e-rent--so deef-e-rent
you would hardly know-a me. In zis place I am on-ly a contractor for ze
laborer. I am-a as com-mon as my gang in-a clothes--in-a manner, too,
eh? But een one hour--een one minute--I could-a con-veence you zat I
am-a something finer."

Mary did not show in her perfectly regained composure that she was so
much as puzzled by the man's enigmatic talk. She said: "I don't see how
it could be worth while, Mr. Ravelli."

"O, yes--I beg-a par-don for ze contradiction--yes, it ees worth-a
while. Away from-a here, Mary, I would-a be so deef-e-rent zat you
a-love me."

"Stop, Mr. Ravelli--stop."

The command was positive, but it was not obeyed.

"I love-a you."

He caught her by one wrist as he began. She was utterly unresistant. If
she had struggled or cried out, he would have gone on with his voluble,
excited declaration; but her placidity was incomprehensible to him.

"Mr. Ravelli," she began after a moment, "you understand English?"

"Perfectly, Mees Warriner."

"Well, here is plain English for you. I would use Italian if I could, so
that you mightn't mistake me. You are to let go of my hand."

He did it.

"You are to go away instantly, and never come here again except on
business. Go at once."

That he did not do.

"For what-a did you come here, into one camp oof men eef----"

"If I didn't expect to be unsafe? I'll tell you. It was a mistake.
Operator No. 9 was ordered to this post. No. 9 had been a man, who had
within a week been discharged, and his number given to me. By an
oversight, no alteration was made in the record to show the sex of the
new No. 9. I couldn't afford to lose the work. Besides----"

"Well-a, besides----"

"Besides, I reasoned that every man at Overlook would protect me against
all the other men--if----"

"Yes, eef----"

"Yes, if I cared absolutely nothing for any single one of them.
Therefore, I am not afraid. But you must not annoy me."

Fury flashed into the man's eyes, into his reddened face, into the
sudden tension of his gripped hands. The girl's contemptuous
indifference maddened him. She saw this, and was at once alarmed, for
she realized that here was a reckless lover--one w