uld see her face. She tried to speak, but the commonplace words she
desired to say were strangled, at birth, in her throat.

"Charles will not mind; he will not miss me as he would have missed me
before this unhappy business of the railroad came between us," Mottram
said lamely.

She still made no answer; instead she shook her head with an impatient
gesture. Her silence made him sorry. After all, he had been a good
friend to Catherine Nagle--so much he could tell himself without shame.
He stepped aside on to the grass, and striding forward turned round and
faced her.

The tears were rolling down her cheeks; but she threw back her head and
met his gaze with a cold, almost a defiant look. "You startled me
greatly," she said breathlessly, "and took me so by surprise, James! I
am grieved to think how Charles--nay, how we shall both--miss you. It is
of Charles I think, James; it is for Charles I weep----"

As she uttered the lying words, she still looked proudly into his face
as if daring him to doubt her. "But I shall never forget--I shall ever
think with gratitude of your great goodness to my poor Charles. Two
years out of your life--that's what it's been, James. Too much--too much
by far!" She had regained control over her quivering heart, and it was
with a wan smile that she added, "But we shall miss you, dear, kind
friend."

Her smile stung him. "Catherine," he said sternly, "I go because I
must--because I dare not stay. You are a woman and a saint, I a man and
a sinner. I've been a fool and worse than a fool. You say that Charles
to-day called me false friend, traitor! Catherine--Charles spoke more
truly than he knew."

His burning eyes held her fascinated. The tears had dried on her cheeks.
She was thirstily absorbing the words as they fell now slowly, now
quickly, from his lips.

But what was this he was saying? "Catherine, do you wish me to go on?"
Oh, cruel! Cruel to put this further weight on her conscience! But she
made a scarcely perceptible movement of assent--and again he spoke.

"Years ago I thought I loved you. I went away, as you know well, because
of that love. You had chosen Charles--Charles in many ways the better
fellow of the two. I went away thinking myself sick with love of you,
but it was false--only my pride had been hurt. I did not love you as I
loved myself. And when I got clear away, in a new place, among new
people"--he hesitated and reddened darkly--"I forgot you! I vow that
when I c