ching Cramier's heavy fist. Then he
realized that she was standing so that their faces when they must say
good-bye could not be seen. Her eyes were smiling, yet imploring; her
lips shaped the word: "To-morrow!" And squeezing her hand desperately,
he got away.

He had never dreamed that to see her in the presence of the man who
owned her would be so terrible. For a moment he thought that he must
give her up, give up a love that would drive him mad.

He climbed on to an omnibus travelling West. Another twenty-four hours
of starvation had begun. It did not matter at all what he did with them.
They were simply so much aching that had to be got through somehow--so
much aching; and what relief at the end? An hour or two with her,
desperately holding himself in.

Like most artists, and few Englishmen, he lived on feelings rather
than on facts; so, found no refuge in decisive resolutions. But he made
many--the resolution to give her up; to be true to the ideal of service
for no reward; to beseech her to leave Cramier and come to him--and he
made each many times.

At Hyde Park Corner he got down, and went into the Park, thinking that
to walk would help him.

A great number of people were sitting there, taking mysterious anodyne,
doing the right thing; to avoid them, he kept along the rails, and ran
almost into the arms of Colonel and Mrs. Ercott, who were coming from
the direction of Knightsbridge, slightly flushed, having lunched and
talked of 'Monte' at the house of a certain General.

They greeted him with the surprise of those who had said to each
other many times: "That young man will come rushing back!" It was very
nice--they said--to run across him. When did he arrive? They had thought
he was going on to Italy--he was looking rather tired. They did not ask
if he had seen her--being too kind, and perhaps afraid that he would
say 'Yes,' which would be embarrassing; or that he would say 'No,' which
would be still more embarrassing when they found that he ought to have
said 'Yes.' Would he not come and sit with them a little--they were
going presently to see how Olive was? Lennan perceived that they were
warning him. And, forcing himself to look at them very straight, he
said: "I have just been there."

Mrs. Ercott phrased her impressions that same evening: "He looks quite
hunted, poor young man! I'm afraid there's going to be fearful trouble
there. Did you notice how quickly he ran away from us? He's thin, too;
if i