ou're a lovely girl--and I adore you. But I adore you
sufficiently to run away from a temptation that I know would defeat
me. . . ."

She turned and faced him. "And supposing I want it to defeat you?"

"Ah! don't--don't. . . . For the love of God--don't!" he cried,
getting up and striding away. He stood with his back towards her,
while a large variety of separate imps in his brain assured him that he
was an unmitigated fool.

"For Heaven's sake!--take what the gods offer you," they sang. "Here
in the cold light of day, where there's no question of her being
overwrought, she's asking you to settle things for her. Take it, you
fool, take it. . . ."

And the god who concerned himself with that particular jig-saw among a
hundred others paused for a moment and gave no heed to the ninety-nine.
Then he turned over two or three pages to see what was coming, and
forthwith lost interest. It is a bad thing to skip--even for a god.

Suddenly Vane felt Joan's hand on his arm, and looking down he found
her at his side.

"Don't you understand, dear man?" she said. "I'm frightened of being
left to decide . . . just frightened to death."

"And don't you understand, dear girl," he answered, "that I'm
frightened of deciding for you? If one decides wrong for
oneself--well, it's one's own funeral. But if it's for somebody
else--and it's their funeral. . .."

"Even if the other person begs you to do it?"

"Even if the other person begs one to do it," he repeated gravely.
"Except that the sexes are reversed, little Joan--something much like
this happened not long ago. And the woman told the man to go and make
sure. . . . I guess she was frightened of staking everything on a
sudden rush of sex. She was right." He turned to her and caught both
her hands in his with a groan. "Oh! my dear--you know what you said to
me last night before dinner. Sex--sex--sex; the most powerful weapon
in the world--and the most transitory. And I daren't use it--I just
daren't any more."

He caught her in his arms and kissed her. "I can't forget that when
you decided before--you decided against me. Something has happened
since then, Joan. . . . Last night. . . . It's another factor in the
situation, and I don't quite know how powerful it will prove. It's too
near, just at present. . . . It's out of focus. But clear through
everything I know it wouldn't be playing the game to rush you with
another--last night. . . ."

He stared