can't--nobody can."

Doris had drawn her companion into her uncle's small dining-room and
closed the door. She listened to his burst of confidence with a puzzled
concern.

"Why must you marry her?" she said abruptly, when he paused. "Break it
off! It would be far best."

"No. I promised. I--" he stammered a little--"I seem to have done her
harm--her reputation, I mean. There is only one thing could let me off.
She swore to me that--well!--that she was a good woman--that there was
nothing in her past--you understand--"

"And you know of nothing?" said Doris, gravely.

"Nothing. And you don't think I'm going to try and ferret out things
against her!" cried the youth, flushing. "No--I must just bear it."

"It's your parents that will have to bear it!"

His face hardened.

"My mother might have prevented it," he said bitterly. "However, I won't
go into that. My father will see I couldn't do anything else. I'd better
get it over. I'm going to my lawyers now. They'll take a few days over
what I want."

"You'll tell your father?"