"I owe you for your--your interest,
at any rate. You've been good enough to interest yourself in my----"

"Aren't--you--interested?" said Valerie, staring into the distance and
seeing nothing.

For a long minute the man sat motionless, not seeming to breathe.
Then--

"Yes," he said slowly, "I am. And that's the devil of it." With a
sudden jerk he was on one knee beside her and had caught her hand.
"Oh, lady, don't you see? That's what kills everything. Am I
interested? Good God, I'm--I'm crazy! I can think of nothing else.
You blot out everything in the world. Whatever I do, or say, or think,
you're always there. There's nothing but you, you, you! And you ask
if I'm interested!"

A wandering puff of salt air swooped out of the windless sky, ruffled
his thick dark hair, and was gone, panting. A gull sailed close to
them, circled, dipped and sped seaward with a smooth rush. The
league-long shadow of a cloud swept stately over the gleaming woods,
driving the sunlight before it, itself driven before the twin of its
prey.... The silver wire of silence became more and more tense. Each
second gave another turn to the screw. Valerie began to tremble....

"And that," said Lyveden at last, "that's why we can't be friends. I
can't be your friend because I love you; and I mustn't love you
because----"

"Why?"

"Because it's out of the question," he flashed. "Don't tempt me,
Valerie. You know it is. I'm crying for something that's utterly,
hopelessly, laughably out of my reach. I haven't the right to the
moonlight, and I want--the moon."

He stopped suddenly and dropped his head, ashamed that he had let his
passion ride him so recklessly, limp after his outburst, sick at heart
for the truth of his words.

Valerie sat very still, exultation and anxiety fighting for a grip on
her heart. Anthony had told his love, raved of her, called her by
name. (Anxiety's claw-like fingers began to yield.) The very
intensity of his utterance declared his conviction that he must give
her up. The exceeding bitterness of his tone rang too true to be
ill-founded. (Exultation's clutch weakened, and Anxiety took a fresh
hold.) Of a sudden Valerie felt persuaded that Time could win her
battle, could she but gain his aid. As if to establish this
persuasion, the reflection that the old fellow had straightened more
crookedness than any other minister of love came to her hotfoot, and
then and there she made up her mind t