had come into the girl's cheeks, making her adorable. For an instant the
coldness and hardness and bitterness were all gone, and Hugh Alston had
a momentary glimpse of the real woman, the woman who was neither hard,
nor cold, but was womanly and sweet and tender.

And then she was her old self again, the bitterness and the anger had
come back.

"I thank you for making everything so clear to me, your wealth and
position and your desire to make--to make amends for the insult and the
shame you have put on me. I need hardly say of course that I refuse!"

"Why?"

"Did you ever expect me to accept? I think you did not!"

She gave him a slight inclination of the head and, turning, went out of
the room, and Hugh Alston stood staring at the door that had closed on
her.




CHAPTER VIII

THE DREAM GIRL


"She is utterly without generosity; she is cold and hard and bitter, and
she has made a mountain out of a molehill, built up a great grievance on