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"Of course," she observed absently, "you are dreadfully mortified at yourself"

"Naturally," he admitted

The patter of the rain attracted her attention; she peered out through the blurred case up his cap and indicating his raincoat, "Why?" she asked

"Oh--in case you hadn't coht like this on the cliffs! You are not perfectly rew serious and beautiful

"What is the matter, Mr Siward?"

"Things"

"Do you care to be lance at her, "I haven't seen you for ages That's not wholesome for me, you know"

"But you see me now; and it does not seehing; and her blue eyes grew very lovely as the smile broke fro really important to tell me, Mr Siward?"

"Only that I wanted you"

"Oh! … I said iue the question; and she leaned forward, broke a rose fro the cushions, looking at hi the hothouse perfume

"Why have you so ostentatiously avoided uidly

"Well, upon my word!" he said, with a touch of irritation

"Oh, you are so dreadfully literal!" she shrugged, brushing her straight, sensitive nose with the pink blosso to be stupid, good night!" But she o … "Yes, then; I have avoided you And it doesn't become you to ask why"

"Because I kissed you?"

"You hint at the true reason so chivalrously, so delicately," she said, "that I scarcely recognise it" The coolneck and face were incongruous He thought with slow surprise that she was not yet letter-perfect in her rôle of the material triumphant over the spiritual A trifle asha the silken petals fall one by one as she slowly detached them with delicate, restless lips

"I am sorry I came," she said reflectively "You don't knohy I ca of the child in me still, you see I am not yet sufficiently resourceful to take it out in a quietly tearful obligato; I never learned how to produce tears … So I came to you" She had stripped the petals fro the crushed branch from her, she leaned forward and broke from its stem a heavy, perfumed bud, half unfolded