emedy, child."

"If you don't mind, we'll not go to the concert."

"By all means," he agreed. "We'll dine early, take a stroll on the
Embankment, and if there's a boat going up or down, it doesn't matter
which, we'll get on, and see where it takes us. Not a bad idea, little
girl, eh?"

"I'm sorry," she said, "but I meant that we were not to pass the evening
together at all. I came now, instead of later on, to see you and talk to
you."

He looked at her hard. "You rather mystify me."

"I'm sorry," she said again. "I sat down to write you a long letter
to-day," she resumed, after an almost imperceptible hesitation. "In
fact, I really began it, or rather I wrote a good many pages, and then I
thought it would be fairer and braver to come here to you at once
instead."

He leaned up against the table for support. "My dear child, I don't in
the least understand your drift--I am bewildered."

She smiled wanly; yet the smile of one about to set forth in a cool,
reasonable way a case that needed exposition, and that necessarily must
carry conviction. "I was writing to ask you a favour. Now I have come to
ask for it in person."

"It is yours to command." He inclined his head graciously and gallantly.

"You are sweet to me, as always," she returned. "But, as you will see, I
am quite undeserving of your graciousness on this present occasion."

He laughed. "Modest as usual, my dear child! I'm afraid it's going to be
one of the tasks of my life to impress you with a sense of your own
merits."

"Please don't say any more nice things to me," she implored. "Your
kindness hurts me."

He looked hard at her again, then passed his hand across his face. "Let
me see," he said; "where were we? I confess I'm rather confused. Ah,
yes, you said you preferred that we shouldn't go to the concert."

She drew her breath hard; her bosom palpitated. "Because I want you to
set me free altogether." Her face was suddenly on fire, but an
exultation thrilled through her. At last the words had been spoken; she
was near the end.

But she felt his eyes upon her; she saw his face set in a strange
expression, half-vacant, half-surprised. "To set you free?" he murmured.

"To break off our engagement," she launched out. "Oh, I know it is
horrible of me," she went on quickly, feeling herself giving way at this
moment of trial, despite all her fortitude and all her schooling. She
saw that his lips made as if he were about to speak, but, dreading to