sir?" she asked.

"These are Miss Morley's. Take them to her room."

The maid retired to obey orders. Hephzy again turned to me.

"Now, Hosy, what is it?" she asked.

I told her the whole story. When I had finished Hephzy nodded
understandingly. She did not say "I told you so," but if she had it
would have been quite excusable.

"I think--I think, perhaps, I had better go up and see her," she said.

"All right. I have no objection."

"But she'll ask questions, of course. What shall I tell her?"

"Tell her I changed my mind. Tell her--oh, tell her anything you like.
Don't bother me. I'm sick of the whole business."

She left me and I went into the Reverend Cole's study and closed the
door. There were books enough there, but the majority of them were
theological works or bulky volumes dealing with questions of religion.
Most of my own books were in my room. These did not appeal to me; I was
not religiously inclined just then.

So I sat dumbly in the rector's desk chair and looked out of the window.
After a time there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," said I, expecting Hephzy. It was not Hephzy who came,
however, but Miss Morley herself. And she closed the door behind her.

I did not speak. She walked over and stood beside me. I did not know
what she was going to say and the expression did not help me to guess.

For a moment she did not say anything. Then:

"So you changed your mind," she said.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know. Yet you changed it."

"Yes. Oh yes, I changed it."

"But why? Was it--was it because you were ashamed of yourself?"

"I guess so. As much that as anything."

"You realize that you treated me shamefully. You realize that?"

"Yes," wearily. "Yes, I realize everything."

"And you felt sorry, after I had gone, and so you changed your mind. Was
that it?"

"Yes."

There was no use in attempting justification. For the absolute surrender
I had made there was no justification. I might as well agree to
everything.

"And you will never, never treat me in that way again?"

"No."

"And you realize that I was right and understand that I am to do as I
please with my money?"

"Yes."

"And you beg my pardon?"

"Yes."

"Very well. Then I beg yours. I'm sorry, too."

Now I WAS surprised. I turned in my chair and looked at her.

"You beg my pardon?" I repeated. "For what?"

"Oh, for everything. I suppose I should have spoken to you before buying
th