light with anger and contempt, and perhaps he flushed a little. He
stroked his moustache, and by an effort maintained his cynical calm.
"Let us be reasonable," he said.

"Reasonable! That means all that is mean and cowardly and sensual in the
world."

"You have always had it so--in your generalising way. But let us look at
the facts of the case--if that pleases you better."

With an impatient gesture she motioned him to go on.

"Well," he said,--"you've eloped."

"I've left my home," she corrected, with dignity. "I left my home
because it was unendurable. Because that woman--"

"Yes, yes. But the point is, you have eloped with me."

"You came with me. You pretended to be my friend. Promised to help me to
earn a living by writing. It was you who said, why shouldn't a man and
woman be friends? And now you dare--you dare--"

"Really, Jessie, this pose of yours, this injured innocence--"

"I will go back. I forbid you--I forbid you to stand in the way--"

"One moment. I have always thought that my little pupil was at least
clear-headed. You don't know everything yet, you know. Listen to me for
a moment."

"Haven't I been listening? And you have only insulted me. You who dared
only to talk of friendship, who scarcely dared hint at anything beyond."

"But you took the hints, nevertheless. You knew. You KNEW. And you did
not mind. MIND! You liked it. It was the fun of the whole thing for you.
That I loved you, and could not speak to you. You played with it--"

"You have said all that before. Do you think that justifies you?"

"That isn't all. I made up my mind--Well, to make the game more even.
And so I suggested to you and joined with you in this expedition of
yours, invented a sister at Midhurst--I tell you, I HAVEN'T a sister!
For one object--"

"Well?"

"To compromise you."

She started. That was a new way of putting it. For half a minute
neither spoke. Then she began half defiantly: "Much I am compromised. Of
course--I have made a fool of myself--"

"My dear girl, you are still on the sunny side of eighteen, and you
know very little of this world. Less than you think. But you will learn.
Before you write all those novels we have talked about, you will have
to learn. And that's one point--" He hesitated. "You started and blushed
when the man at breakfast called you Ma'am. You thought it a funny
mistake, but you did not say anything because he was young and
nervous--and besides, the thought of being my