but they are beginning to get emancipated--the woman with the gold
hair, whom you so much admire, is emancipated."

Manella gave a slight disdainful movement of her head.

"That only means she is free to do as she likes"--she said--"To
marry or not to marry--to love or not to love. I think if she loved
at all, she would love very greatly. Why did she go so secretly in
the evening to see you? I suppose she loves you!"

A sudden red flush of anger coloured his brow.

"Yes"--he answered with a kind of vindictive slowness--"I suppose
she does! You, Manella, are after me as a man merely--she is after
me as a Brain! You would steal my physical liberty,--she would steal
my innermost thought! And you will both be disappointed! Neither my
body nor my brain shall ever be dominated by any woman!"

He turned from her abruptly and began the ascent that led to his
solitary retreat. Once he looked back--

"Don't let me see you for two days at least!" he called--"I've more
than enough food to keep me going."

He strode on, and Manella stood watching him, her tall handsome
figure silhouetted against the burning sky. Her dark eyes were moist
with suppressed tears of shame and suffering,--she felt herself to
be wronged and slighted undeservedly. And beneath this personal
emotion came now a smarting sense of jealousy, for in spite of all
he had said, she felt that there was some secret between him and