that unhappy woman."

"Unhappy? She's considerably happier than she was when I first knew
her."

"That's it," she said, "that's just it. Where are your eyes? Can't
you see she's in love with you?"

He did not meet her advancing gaze.

"What makes you think so?" he said.

"The way she talks about you."

He smiled. "You don't allow for picturesque exaggeration."

"My dear, when a woman exaggerates to that extent it generally means
one thing."

"Not with her. She wouldn't do it if it meant that. She'd be afraid
to let herself go. And she isn't afraid. She just piles it on
because she's so sure of herself--so sure that she isn't what you
say she is."

"I don't say she knows she's in love with you. She doesn't know it."

"Can you be in love without knowing it?"

"She could. If she knew it, do you think she'd have let me see it?
And do you think I'd have given her away? I wouldn't now, only I
know what you are, and she doesn't."

"No, indeed. You're right enough there."

They paused on that.

"You're quite sure," she said, "that you can't----"

It was as if she probed him, delicately, on behalf of their tragic
friend. She turned her eyes away as she did it, that she might not
see him shrink.

"No," he said. "Never again. Never again."

She withdrew the pressure of the gentle finger that had given him
pain. "I only thought--" she murmured.

"What did you think?"

"That it might be nice for both of you."

"It wouldn't be nice for either of us. Not nice at all."

"Well, then, I can only see one thing."

"I know. You're going to say I must leave off seeing her?"

"No. I don't say that."

"I do, though. If I were sure----"

"You may be sure of one thing. That she doesn't know what's the
matter with her--yet. She mustn't know. If you do go and see her,
you must be careful not to let her find out. I did my best to hide
it, to cover it up, so that she shouldn't see."

"Your suspicion?"

"What do you think we're made of? The truth--the truth."

"If this is the truth, I mustn't, of course, go near her. But I know
you're mistaken."

"Have I ever been mistaken? Have I ever told you wrong?"

"Well, Julia, you're a very wise woman, and I'll admit that, when
you've warned me off anybody, you've warned me for my good."

She colored. "I'm not warning you 'off' anybody now. I've warned you
before for your own sake. I'm warning you this time for hers."

"I see. I see that, all right. But--you never sa