something about you that always makes
people feel romantic. . . ." His voice softened. "I remember the
first time I saw you, coming into that restaurant a little behind
Lucille, it made me feel as if the fairy-stories I'd stopped believing
in had come true all over again. You were so little and so graceful,
and you looked as if you believed in so many wonderful things----"

"Stop!" said Marjorie desperately. "It isn't fair to talk that way to
me. I won't have it. If you feel that way you ought to take me back
home."

"On the contrary, just the reverse," quoted Francis, who seemed to be
getting cooler as Marjorie grew more excited. "You said you'd listen.
Be a sport, and do listen."

"Very well," said Marjorie sulkily. She _was_ a sport by nature, and
she was curious.

"I've taken a job in Canada--reforesting of burned-over areas. I had
to go to-night at the latest. It seemed to me that we hadn't either of
us given this thing a fair try-out. I hadn't a chance with you unless
I took this one. My idea is for you to give me a trial, under any
conditions you like that include our staying in the same house a couple
of months. I'm crazy over you. I want to stay married to you the
worst way. You're all frightened of me, and marriage, and everything,
now. But it's just possible that you may be making a mistake, not
seeing it through. It's just possible that I may be making a mistake,
thinking that you and I would be happy."

Marjorie gave a little tense jerk of outraged pride at this rather
tactless speech. It sounded too much as if Francis might possibly tire
of _her_--which it wasn't his place to do.

"And so," Francis went on doggedly, "my proposition is that you go up
to Canada with me. There's a fairly decent house that goes with the
job. There won't be too much of my society. You need a rest anyhow.
I won't hurry you, or do anything unfair. Only let us try it out, and
see if we wouldn't like being married, exactly as if we'd had a chance
to be engaged before."

"And if we don't?" inquired Marjorie.

"And if we don't, I'll give you the best divorce procurable this side
of the water."

"You sound as if it was a Christmas present," said Marjorie.

She thought she was temporizing, but Francis accepted it as willingness
to do as he suggested.

"Then you will?" he asked.

"But--it's such an awful step to take!"

Francis leaned back--she could feel him do it, in the dark--and began
to argue