a steady hand upon the shadowing hair.

"My dear," he said gently, "have you no wishes upon the subject?"

Again she started at his touch, and again, as if to rectify the start,
drew ever so slightly nearer to him. It was many, many days since she
had heard that tone from him.

"My wishes are yours," she told him faintly.

His hand was caressing her softly, very softly. Again he was silent for
a while, and into her heart there began to creep a new feeling that
made her gradually forget the immensity of her relief. She sat
motionless, save that her head drooped a little lower, ever a little
lower.

"Naomi," he said, at last, "I have been thinking a good deal lately. We
seem to have been wandering round and round in a circle. I have been
wondering if we could not by any means find a way out?"

She made a sharp, involuntary movement. What was this that he was saying
to her?

"I don't quite understand," she murmured.

His hand pressed a little upon her, and she knew that he was bending
down.

"You are not happy," he said, with grave conviction.

She could not contradict him.

"It is my own fault," she managed to say, without lifting her head.

"I do not think so," he returned, "at least, not entirely. I know that
there have frequently been times when you have regretted your marriage.
For that you were not to blame." He paused an instant. "Naomi," he said,
a new note in his voice, "I think I am right in believing that,
notwithstanding this regret, you do not in your heart wish to leave me?"

She quivered, and hid her face in silence.

He waited a few seconds, and finally went on as if she had answered in
the affirmative.

"That being so, I have a foundation on which to build. I would not ask
of you anything which you feel unable to grant. But there is only one
way for us to get out of the circle that I can see. Will you take it
with me, Naomi? Shall we go away together, and leave this miserable
estrangement behind us?"

His voice was low and tender. Yet she felt instinctively that he had not
found it easy to expose his most sacred reserve thus. She moved
convulsively, trying to answer him, trying for several unworthy moments
to accept in silence the shelter his generosity had offered her. But her
efforts failed, for she had not been moulded for deception; and this new
weapon of his had cut her to the heart. Heavy, shaking sobs overcame
her.

"Hush!" he said. "Hush! I never dreamed you felt it so."

"A