is ears, and mechanically he did as she asked.

Slowly, with short, hesitating steps he came towards the fire, and
stood beside her, while his nails cut into the palms of his hands.
Then she rose and stood facing him.

"You've won," she said simply. "I've come to you." She swayed into
his arms, and so for a long while did they stand, while the man twisted
the great masses of hair that hung over her shoulders round and round
his fingers. He touched her forehead and her cheeks with hands that
shook a little, and suddenly he kissed her fiercely on the lips--so
that she gasped, and began to tremble. He could feel her body against
him through the thin silk wrap, and he clasped her tighter in his arms
as if to warm her.

"My darling," he whispered, "you're cold . . . so cold. . . . Take my
dressing gown. . . ."

But the girl only clung to him the more, and the man, being just a man,
felt his senses beginning to swim with the wonder of it.

And then of a sudden she pushed him away, and with her hands on the
mantelpiece stared into the fire.

Vane's breath came quickly. She looked so utterly desirable with the
red glow of the fire lighting up her face, and her hair falling about
her. He stretched out his hand and put it on her arm, as if to make
sure that it was not a dream, and with the touch of his fingers
something seemed to snap. A great wave of colour flooded her face,
spreading down to her neck, and she began to shake uncontrollably. He
bent over her, whispering in her ear, and suddenly she put both her
arms round his neck. And then like a little child who goes to its
mother for comfort she laid her head on his shoulder, and the tears
came.

He soothed her gently, stroking her hair with his hand, and gradually,
as the minutes went by, the raging storm in his mind died down, and
gave place to a wonderful peace. All that was best in his nature was
called forth by the girl crying so gently in his arms, and with a
little flickering smile on his lips he stared at the flames over her
head.

The passion had left him; a great sense of protection--man's divine
heritage through the ages--had taken its place.

And so after a while he picked her up in his arms and laid her on his
bed. He pulled the clothes around her, and taking her hand in his, sat
down on a chair by her side.

All through the night he watched beside her, and as he listened to the
hall clock striking the hours, gradually the realisation of w