e
put the ring on your finger. It will be the proudest day of my life
when I make you my wife. Give me your hand--"

Alvina was wavering. For one thing, mere curiosity made her want to
see the ring. She half lifted her hand. And but for the knowledge
that he would kiss her, she would have given it. But he would kiss
her--and against that she obstinately set her will. She put her hand
behind her back, and looked obstinately into his eyes.

"Don't play a game with me," he said dangerously.

But she only continued to look mockingly and obstinately into his
eyes.

"Come," he said, beckoning for her to give her hand.

With a barely perceptible shake of the head, she refused, staring at
him all the time. His ungovernable temper got the better of him. He
saw red, and without knowing, seized her by the shoulder, swung her
back, and thrust her, pressed her against the wall as if he would
push her through it. His face was blind with anger, like a hot, red
sun. Suddenly, almost instantaneously, he came to himself again and
drew back his hands, shaking his right hand as if some rat had
bitten it.

"I'm sorry!" he shouted, beside himself. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean
it. I'm sorry." He dithered before her.

She recovered her equilibrium, and, pale to the lips, looked at him
with sombre eyes.

"I'm sorry!" he continued loudly, in his strange frenzy like a small
boy. "Don't remember! Don't remember! Don't think I did it."

His face was a kind of blank, and unconsciously he wrung the hand
that had gripped her, as if it pained him. She watched him, and
wondered why on earth all this frenzy. She was left rather cold, she
did not at all feel the strong feelings he seemed to expect of her.
There was nothing so very unnatural, after all, in being bumped up
suddenly against the wall. Certainly her shoulder hurt where he had
gripped it. But there were plenty of worse hurts in the world. She
watched him with wide, distant eyes.

And he fell on his knees before her, as she backed against the
bookcase, and he caught hold of the edge of her dress-bottom,
drawing it to him. Which made her rather abashed, and much more
uncomfortable.

"Forgive me!" he said. "Don't remember! Forgive me! Love me! Love
me! Forgive me and love me! Forgive me and love me!"

As Alvina was looking down dismayed on the great, red-faced, elderly
man, who in his crying-out showed his white teeth like a child, and
as she was gently trying to draw her skirt from