than his wounded affection; and that again gave her courage.

"If I've taken long it's all the more reason why I shouldn't
take longer. If I've made a mistake it's you who would have
suffered from it ...."

"Thanks," he said, "for your extreme solicitude."

She looked at him helplessly, penetrated by the despairing sense
of their inaccessibility to each other. Then she remembered
that Nick, during their last talk together, had seemed as
inaccessible, and wondered if, when human souls try to get too
near each other, they do not inevitably become mere blurs to
each other's vision. She would have liked to say this to
Streff-but he would not have understood it either. The sense
of loneliness once more enveloped her, and she groped in vain
for a word that should reach him.

"Let me go home alone, won't you?" she appealed to him.

"Alone?"

She nodded. "To-morrow--to-morrow ...."

He tried, rather valiantly, to smile. "Hang tomorrow! Whatever
is wrong, it needn't prevent my seeing you home." He glanced
toward the taxi that awaited them at the end of the deserted
drive.

"No, please. You're in a hurry; take the taxi. I want