and I'm not the sort of person to go begging a man to marry me, either.
I don't think--I really DON'T think that I am QUITE so poorly off as
all that comes to." Here she laughed, but only for an instant. "If you
were to go down on your knees before me, Guthrie, I would not have you
now, after the things you have said to me."

The statement calmed and strengthened him. He felt able to say the
rest.

"Quite right, Francie. Dozens of men will come courting you as soon as
you go out again, and any one of them will make you a better husband
than I should have done; but not a better friend. I hope you will
always remember that."

"Many thanks. Will you be so very kind as to release my hands, Captain
Carey? They ache."

"One moment. I want to make sure of the last chance I shall get to
explain--to tell you exactly what I mean--you, who are old enough,
experienced enough, to understand. I don't want to defend myself,
Francie--not at all. I am not the cad to say, 'The woman
tempted me, and I did eat.' I don't blame you, dear--I don't blame
anybody. A woman is a woman; and a lovely woman like you--well, the
way things are managed in this world, I don't believe she can help
herself. But look here, Francie, a man is a man too, and a good deal
more so. If you were a girl, I wouldn't say this; but you knew--you
knew what you were doing when you laid yourself out to be sweet and--
and kind to a fellow, as you were to me. Did you take me for an old
maid or a Social Purity Society? You know you didn't. A man does his
best, but he's too heavily handicapped--I won't say by nature--