he said finally. "But the fact that I
should be acting dead against the right, as I see it, would make
capitulation wrong for me, . . if not for them. Besides, one dare not
trifle with an inherited evil. One's only chance lies in taking strong
measures on the spot. You understand?"

"Yes, I understand . . now; though I didn't at first. And I wouldn't
have you different by one hair's-breadth, though your strength and
single-mindedness does make things harder for both of us."

He pressed her hands.

"It's worth all I've been through, and more, to hear you say that.
Only remember, lass, it's not simply a question of principles that may
seem to you high-flown, but of bedrock facts. I don't want to enlarge
on the ugly or painful side of a very ugly subject; but I do want you
to understand that not only my career, but our whole future happiness
depends upon my crushing out this habit before it degenerates to a
craving; before my conscience gets blunted, my will-power undermined.
Opium is worse than drink in both respects: and if things ever reached
such a pass--which God forbid--it would mean losing my commission; just
going under, like dozens of ill-fated chaps, and sinking in the scale:
or at best scraping along in the army by means of constant subterfuges,
at the hourly risk of discovery and disgrace. A nice sort of life for
you, my proud little woman. And for----" he broke off short.

She tried to speak, but tears were clutching at her throat; and after a
moment's pause, he went on: "There is a great black something deep down
in me, Quita, that rises up now and then, like a spiritual fog, and
blots all the light and colour out of life. This, and the dread of
those hideous possibilities I spoke of, made me feel, a month ago, as
if it might be better for you to be left in comparative freedom, than
chained to a man with a devil inside him. But your coming down here
has put all that out of the question."

"Thank God I came, then."

"Yes. Thank God you came," he echoed fervently. "Though I was afraid
you didn't quite realise . . ."

"Dear, I did. More than you imagine. But I wanted . . to help you in
spite of yourself; and I hoped we could fight it out together."

He shook his head.

"Don't think me brutal, Quita, but a man's got to fight out this sort
of thing alone with his own soul . . and God. You can only help just
by . . loving me, and believing that I shall pull through. Dear old
Desmond has d