trong and so near.

"Theo," he said. "The man who ran away from the danger he dared not face
is a greater coward than he fancied. The chances have been against him,
too. I suppose to-night he must turn his back to it again, but--"

She stopped him all at once with a little cry. She had been so happy an
hour ago, that she could not fail to be weak now. Her face dropped upon
the hands on her lap, and were hidden there. The crimson-hearted rose
slipped from her hair and fell to her feet.

"No, no!" she cried. "Don't go. It is only for a little while; don't go
yet!"

CHAPTER VII.

"PARTING IS SWEET SORROW."

He did not go away. He could not yet. He stayed in Paris, day after day,
even week after week, lingering through a man's very human weakness. He
could no longer resist the knowledge of the fact that he had lost the
best part of the battle; he had lost it in being compelled to
acknowledge the presence of danger by flight; he had lost it completely
after this by being forced to admit to himself that there was not much
more to lose, that in spite of his determination, Theodora North had
filled his whole life and nature as Priscilla Gower had never filled it,
and could never fill it, were she his wife for a thousand years. He had
made a mistake, and discovered having made it too late--that was all;
but he blamed himself for having made it; blamed himself for being
blind; blamed himself more than all for having discovered his blindness
and his blunder. Thinking thus, he resolved to go away. Yes, he would go
away! He would marry Priscilla at once, and have it over. He would put
an impassable barrier between himself and Theo.

But, though he reproached himself, and anathematized himself, and
resolved to go away, he did not leave Paris. He stayed in the face of
his remorseful wretchedness. It was a terrible moral condition to be in,
but he absolutely gave up, for the time, to the force of circumstances,
and floated recklessly with the current.

If he had loved Theodora North when he left her for Priscilla's sake, he
loved her ten thousand fold, when he forbore to leave her for her own.
He loved her passionately, blindly, jealously. He envied every man who
won a smile from her, even while his weakness angered him. She had
changed greatly during their brief separation, but the change grew
deeper after they had once again encountered each other. She was more
conscious of herself, more fearful, less innocently fran