ut, you are plucky."

The most delicious odours of moist earth, blessed with the day's
unexpected warmth, rose on the winter air. Their footfalls were lost in
the leaves. Far down at the end of the alley they could see other
strollers, but where they stood they were quite alone. The excitement of
the unusual outing, the pleasure of companionship, brought the colour to
their cheeks, a light to their eyes. The girl's helplessness, the human
struggle so like to his own, her admiration and her frankness, appealed
to him greatly. His late agitation, useless, hopeless, perilous
moreover, and which he felt he must overcome because it could have
neither issue nor satisfaction, made Fairfax turn here for satisfaction
and repose. They wandered slowly down the alley, her hand within his
arm, and he said, looking down at her--

"Meanwhile, you belong to me."

The words passed his lips before he realized what they meant, or their
importance. He did so as soon as he spoke. He felt her start. She
withdrew the hand from his arm. He stopped and said--

"Did I frighten you?" He took her little hand.

"A little," Nora Scarlet said. Her eyes were round and wide.

Antony held her hand, looking at her, trying to see a deeper beauty in
her face than was there, greater depths in her eyes than they could
contain, more of the woman to fill his need and his loneliness. He
realized how great that loneliness was and how demanding. She seemed
like a child or a bird that he had caught ruthlessly.

"Didn't you drink just now to our friendship?"

She nodded, bit her lips, smiled, and her humour returned.

"Yes, I drank to our friendship."

"Well," he said, and hesitated, "well...." He drew her a little toward
him; she resisted faintly, and Fairfax stopped and quickly kissed her, a
feeling of shame in his soul. He kissed her again, murmured something to
her, and she kissed him. Then she pushed him gently away, her face
crimson, her eyes full of tears.

"No, no," she murmured, "you shouldn't have done it. It is too awful.
It's unworthy. Ami," she gasped, "do you know you are the first man I
ever let do that? Do you believe me?" She was clinging to his hands,
half laughing, half sobbing, and the kiss was sweet, sweet, and the
moment was sweet. To one of them it was eternal, and could never come in
all her lifetime like that again.

He stifled his self-reproach. He would have taken her in his arms again,
but she ran from him, swiftly, like th