"Would you? Do you know the greatest pleasure you could give me? It would
be to become my brother--my real brother."

He turned bewildered eyes upon her.

"Your brother?"

She laughed, half impatiently, half gaily, gave his hand a final tap and
rose. He stood, too, mechanically.

"I think you're the obtusest man I've ever met. Anyone else would have
guessed long ago. Don't you see, you dear, foolish thing"--she laid her
hands on his shoulders and looked with agonizing deliciousness into his
face--"don't you see that you want a wife to save you from omelettes that
you have to use as kettle-holders, and to give you a sense of
responsibility? And don't you see that Emmy, who is never happier than
when--oh!" she broke off impatiently, "don't you see?"

He had built for himself no card house of illusion, so it did not come
toppling down with dismaying clatter. But all the same he felt as if her
kind hands had turned death cold and were wringing his heart. He took them
from his shoulders, and, not unpicturesquely, kissed her finger-tips. Then
he dropped them and walked to the fire and, with his back to the room,
leaned on the mantelpiece. A little china dog fell with a crash into the
fender.

"Oh, I'm so sorry--" he began piteously.

"Never mind," said Zora, helping him to pick up the pieces. "A man who can
kiss a woman's hands like that is at liberty to clear the whole house of