"Oh, I know it!" said Gregory. "I am going away from here. I am going
to-morrow as soon as I can arrange--as soon as I can get away.
Good-night--I"--Clementina in her agitation put her hands up to her face.
"Oh, don't cry--I can't bear to have you cry."

She took down her hands. "I'm not crying! But I wish I had neva seen
those slippas."

They had come to the bank of the river, whose current quivered at that
point in a scaly ripple in the moonlight. At her words Gregory suddenly
pulled the box from under his arm, and flung it into the stream as far as
he could. It caught upon a shallow of the ripple, hung there a moment,
then loosed itself, and swam swiftly down the stream.

"Oh!" Clementina moaned.

"Do you want them back?" he demanded. "I will go in for them!"

"No, no! No. But it seemed such a--waste!"

"Yes, that is a sin, too." They climbed silently to the hotel. At Mrs.
Atwell's door, he spoke. "Try to forget what I said, and forgive me, if
you can."

"Yes--yes, I will, Mr. Gregory. You mustn't think of it any moa."




XII.