iends, and I know
that you all have very good advice to give me. But I am afraid I am a
shockingly obstinate and a very ungrateful person. No, don't let me
call myself that. I am grateful, indeed I am. But on this matter my
mind is quite made up."

Ennison hesitated for a moment.

"Miss Pellissier," he said, "these gentlemen are your friends, and
therefore they are my friends. If I am to have no other opportunity
I will speak before them. I came here to beg you not to sign that
contract. I came to beg you instead to do me the honour of becoming
my wife."

"And I," Courtlaw said, "although I have asked before in vain, have
come to ask you once more the same thing."

"And I," Brendon said, humbly, "although I am afraid there is no
chance for me, my errand was the same."

Anna looked at them for a moment with a pitiful attempt at a smile.
Then her head disappeared suddenly in her hands, and her shoulders
shook violently.

"Please forgive me--for one moment," she sobbed. "I--I shall be all
right directly."

Brendon rushed to the piano and strummed out a tune.

The others hurried to the window. And Anna was conscious of a few
moments of exquisite emotion. After all, life had still its
pulsations. The joy of being loved thrilled her as nothing before
had ever done, a curious abstract joy which had nothing in it at
that moment of regret or even pity.

She called them back very soon.

The signs of tears had all gone, but some subtle change seemed to have
stolen into her face. She spoke readily enough, but there was a new
timidity in her manner.

"My friends," she said, "my dear friends, I am going to make the same
answer to all of you--and that is perhaps you will say no answer at
all. At present I cannot marry, I will not become bound even to any
one. It would be very hard perhaps to make you understand just how I
feel about it. I won't try. Only I feel that you all want to make life
too easy for me, and I am determined to fight my own battles a little
longer. If any of you--or all of you feel the same in six months' time
from to-day, will you come, if you care to, and see me then?"

There was a brief silence. Ennison spoke at last.

"You will sign the contract?"

"I shall sign the contract. I think that I am very fortunate to have
it to sign."

"Do you mean," Courtlaw asked, "that from now to the end of the six
months you do not wish to see us--any of us?"

Her eyes were a little dim again.

"I do mea