stood up. "Impossible!" he said a fourth time, almost shouting it. And he
struck the doctor full in the face, reeled and fell headlong to the floor.
When he recovered consciousness he was lying on a lounge, the doctor's
assistant standing beside him.

"I must go to her," he exclaimed and sat up. He saw the doctor a few feet
away, holding a cloth odorous of arnica to his cheek. Howard remembered and
began, "I beg your pardon,"--The doctor interrupted with: "Not at all. I've
had many queer experiences but never one like that." But Howard had ceased
to hear. He was staring vacantly at the floor, repeating to himself, "And I
wished to be free. And I am to be free."

"You must go back to her. Take her south tomorrow. Asheville is the best
place."

Howard was on his way to the door. "We shall go by the first train," he
said.

"Pardon me for telling you so abruptly," said the doctor, following him.
"But I saw that you weren't--that is I couldn't help noticing that you and
she were--And usually the man in such cases--well, my sympathy is for the
woman."

"Do you think a man voluntarily lives with a woman because he hates her?"
Howard asked, with an angry sneer. He bowed coldly and was gone.

As he looked at Alice he saw that it was of no use to try to deceive her.
"We must go South in the morning," he almost whispered, taking her hand and
kissing it again and again, slowly and gently.