" she said, breathlessly. "Stop, Jim! Ah, stop! Listen! Wait!--Jim,
I have always known--I told Jane so--that if I forgave you, I could not
let you go." She flung her arms around his neck, as he stood gazing at
her in dumb bewilderment. "Jim, my beloved! I cannot let you go; or, if
you go, you must take me with you. I cannot live without you, Jim
Airth!"

For the space of a dozen heart-beats he stood silent, while she hung
around him; her head upon his breast, her clinging arms about his neck.

Then a cry so terrible burst from him, that Myra's heart stood still.

"Oh, my God," he cried, "this is the worst of all! Have I, in falling,
dragged _her_ down? Now, indeed am I broken--broken. What was the loss of
my own pride, my own honour, my own self-esteem, to this? Have I soiled
her fair whiteness; weakened the noble strength of her sweet purity? Oh,
not this--my God, not this!"

He lifted his hands to his neck, took hers by the wrists, and forcibly
drew them down, stepping back a pace, so that she must lift her head.

Then, holding her hands against his breast: "Lady Ingleby," he said,
"lift your eyes, and look into my face."

Slowly--slowly--Myra lifted her grey eyes. The fire of his held her; she
felt the strength of him mastering her, as it had often done before. She
could scarcely see the anguish in his face, so vivid was the blaze of his
blue eyes.

"Lady Ingleby," he said, and the grip of his hands on hers, tightened.
"Lady Ingleby--we stood like this together, you and I, on a fast
narrowing strip of sand. The cruel sea swept up, relentless. A high cliff
rose in front--our only refuge. I held you thus, and said: 'We must
climb--or drown.' Do you remember?--I say it now, again. The only
possible right thing to do is steep and difficult; but we must climb. We
must mount above our lower selves; away from this narrowing strip of
dangerous sand; away from this cruel sea of fierce temptation; up to the
breezy cliff-top, up to the blue above, into the open of honour and right
and perfect purity. You stood there, until now; you stood there--brave
and beautiful. I dragged you down--God forgive me, I brought you into
danger--Hush! listen! You must climb again; you must climb alone; but
when I am gone, your climbing will be easy. You will soon find yourself
standing, safe and high, above these treacherous dangerous waters.
Forgive me, if I seem rough." He forced her gently backwards to the
couch. "Sit there," he said,