n. If you could have seen how his craven spirit cowered
beneath my eyes!"

"One should not judge by such indications. One cannot but see them
and notice them; but one should not judge."

"You would have judged had you seen. You could not have helped
judging. Nothing, however, can come of it, except this,--that not for
all the world would I take his money."

"It may be right, Isabel, that all that should be discussed between
you and me,--right if you wish it. It will be my delight to think
that there shall be no secret between us. But, believe me, dearest,
it can have no reference to the question between us."

"Not that I should be absolutely penniless?"

"Not in the least."

"But it will, Mr Owen. In that even my father agrees with me." In
this she was no doubt wrong. Her father had simply impressed upon her
the necessity of taking the money because of her lover's needs. "I
will not be a burden at any rate to you; and as I cannot go to you
without being a burden, I will not go at all. What does it matter
whether there be a little more suffering or a little less? What does
it matter?"

"It matters a great deal to me."

"A man gets over that quickly, I think."

"So does a woman,--if she be the proper sort of woman for getting
over her difficulties of that kind. I don't think you are."

"I will try."

"I won't." This he said, looking full into her face. "My philosophy
teaches me to despise the grapes which hang too high, but to make the
most of those which come within my reach. Now, I look upon you as
being within my reach."

"I am not within your reach."

"Yes; pardon me for my confidence, but you are. You have confessed
that you love me."

"I do."

"Then you will not be so wicked as to deny to me that which I have a
right to demand? If you love me as a woman should love the man who is
to become her husband, you have no right to refuse me. I have made
good my claim, unless there be other reasons."

"There is a reason."

"None but such as I have to judge of. Had your father objected, that
would have been a reason; or when your uncle disapproved because of
the property, that was a reason. As to the money, I will never ask
you to take it, unless you can plead that you yourself are afraid of
the poverty--." Then he paused, looking at her as though he defied
her to say so much on her own behalf. She could not say that, but sat
there panting, frightened by his energy.

"Nor am I," he continued very gen