very first train to town and give it into Walton's hands
to-night.'

'But I am going on with you to Cardiff,' Paul cried.

'Indeed,' said Claudia, 'you will do nothing of the kind. I am not so
absurd as to allow it I am not going to be compromised in that way in
my last week with the company.' Paul stared at her with a face so
disconsolate that she laughed; but she put on a tender seriousness
a moment later. 'Do you call that love, Paul? Ah, no! Few men--very
few--ever so much as learn the meaning of the word. It is pure
selfishness. You don't think of poor Claudia. You would let her
reputation be torn to rags and tatters, but what would that amount to if
only you could gratify your own wishes?'

'I'll go, Claudia,' cried Paul. 'I'll go to London. Great Heaven 'what a
selfish, unreasonable beast I am 'Forgive me, Claudia. I did not think.'

'Now you are my own dear Paul again. But you mustn't expect me to find
_all_ the wisdom.'

She wrote her letter, and Paul watched the white hand skimming over
the paper. When it was written she read it out to him. It was really
an excellent letter of introduction, business-like and cordial. Paul
received it with devout thanksgiving. Then Claudia gave him the address
of the boarding-house to which she herself was bound, and looked up his
train in the time-table.

'You must start in half an hour,' she said. 'Oh, Paul dear! Paul! I
wonder if, in spite of all your protestations, you are so sorry to part
as I am.'

'Claudia!' said Paul, and ran to the open arms.

He was abjectly in love and abjectly submissive, and Claudia had never
been so kind. But when at last she told him 'You must go,' he strained
her in his arms so wildly that he fairly frightened her. Then, terrified
in his own turn, he released her, and covered her hand with tears and
kisses of contrition.

'Go,' she said pantingly--'go, at once!'

He looked with remorse at her pale face and questioning eyes, and
lurched towards the table on which he had laid his hat.

'Paul,' said Claudia, 'it would have been better for you if you had
never met me.'

'No,'he answered, looking back at her. 'I shall never think that,
whatever happens.'

'You will think it often,' she said. 'But go now, dear, for pity's
sake.'

He went out into the street with his wet face, and for a minute or more
did not know why people stared at him. Then he came to his senses a
little, and found himself walking away from the station instead of