like that dress; it suits you." And he stepped
towards her.

She held out both hands as if to meet his, but by the gesture the
woollen scarf was thrown back, and her form unveiled. Once again her
mere beauty stung the young man to desire, but something of a conscious
look in her face gave him thought, and, scrutinizing her coldly, he
said:

"I suppose that dress was put on for Mr. Barkman's benefit."

"Oh, George!" she cried, in utter dismay, "he hain't been here to-day."
And then, as the hard expression did not leave his face, she added
hurriedly: "I put it on for you, George. Do believe me."

Still his face did not alter. Suddenly she understood that she had
betrayed her secret. She burst into bitter tears.

He took her in his arms and spoke perfunctory words of consolation; her
body yielded to his touch, and in a few moments he was soothing her
in earnest. Her grief was uncontrollable. "I've jest done everythin',
everythin', and it's all no use," she sobbed aloud. When he found that
he could not check the tears, he grew irritated; he divined her little
stratagem, and his lip curled. How unmaidenly!

In a flash, she stood before him, her shallow, childish vanity unmasked.
The pity of it did not strike him; he was too young for that; he felt
only contempt for her, and at once drew his arms away. With a long,
choking sob she moved to the door and disappeared. She went blindly
along the passage to her room, and, flinging herself on the bed, cried
as if her heart would break. Then followed a period of utter abject
misery. She had lost everything George didn't care for her; she'd have
to live all her life without him, and again slow, scalding tears fell.

The thought of going downstairs to supper and meeting him was
intolerable. The sense of what she had confessed to him swept over her
in a hot flood of shame. No, she couldn't go down; she couldn't face his
eyes again. She'd sit right there, and her mother'd come up, and she'd
tell her she had a headache. To meet him was impossible; she just hated
him. He was hard and cruel; she'd never see him again; he had degraded
her. The whole place became unbearable as she relived the past; she
must get away from him, from it all, at any cost, as soon as she could.
They'd be sorry when she was gone. And she cried again a little, but
these tears relieved her, did her good.

She tried to look at the whole position steadily. Barkman would take her
away to New York. Marry him?-