ished his object. He quieted down after this.

"Don't you see, Ruth, that all this change must make you forget? And if
you tried to put the past from you for no other reason than that your
wifehood would be less untrue, you would be but following the instincts
of a truly honorable woman. After that, all would be easy. In every
instance you would be forced to look upon me as your husband, for you
would belong to me. I should be the author of all your surroundings; and
always keeping in mind how I want you to regard me, I should woo you so
tenderly that without knowing it you would finally yield. Then, and only
then, when I had filled your thought to the exclusion of every other
man, I should bring you home; and I think we should be happy."

"And you would be satisfied to give so much and receive so little?"

"The end would repay me."

"It is a pretty story," she said, letting her hands fall listlessly into
her lap, "but the denouement is a castle in Spain that we should never
inhabit. You think your love is strong enough to kill mine first of
all; well, I tell you, nothing is strong enough for that. With this fact
established the rest is needless to speak of. It is only your dream,
Louis; forgive me that I unwittingly intruded into it; reality would
mean disillusion,--we are happy only when we dream."

"You are bitter."

"Our relations are turned, then; I have put into practice your old
theories of the uselessness of life. No; I am wrong. It is better to die
than not to have loved."

"You think you have lived your life, then. I can't convince you
otherwise now; but I am going to beg you to think this over, to try
to imagine yourself my wife. I will not hasten your decision, but in a
week's time you should be able to answer me yes or no. If anything can
help my cause, I cannot overlook it; so I may tell you now that for some
occult reason your mother's one wish is to see you my wife."

"And my father?" her voice was harsh now.

"Your father has expressed to your mother that such a course would make
him happy."

She rose suddenly as if oppressed. Her face looked hard to a degree. She
stood before him, tall and rigid. He stood up and faced her, reading
her face so intently that he straightened himself as if to receive an
attack.

"I will consider what you have said," she said mechanically.

The reaction was so unexpected that he turned giddy and caught on to the
back of a chair to steady himself.

"It will n