such excellent persons? Can't you fancy what a charming change it is
for me to do something so innocent and beneficent?"

He moved across the room and went up to her, drawing down the hand
which still flitted experimentally about her hat.

"Don't talk in that way, however much one of the persons of whom you
speak may have deserved it."

"One of the persons? Do you mean me?"

He released her hand, but continued to face her resolutely. "I mean
myself, as you know. You have been generous--extraordinarily
generous."

"Ah, but I was doing good in a good cause. You have made me see that
there is a distinction."

He flushed to the forehead. "I am here to let you say whatever you
choose to me."

"Whatever I choose?" She made a slight gesture of deprecation. "Has
it never occurred to you that I may conceivably choose to say
nothing?"

Durham paused, conscious of the increasing difficulty of the
advance. She met him, parried him, at every turn: he had to take his
baffled purpose back to another point of attack.

"Quite conceivably," he said: "so much so that I am aware I must