"What does that matter?, don't you love me?
You said you were the sort of a girl to give all; and
now, because it is a little late, you are afraid. What
are you afraid of? Tell me that! You know I
love you; we belong to each other; what does it
matter how late it is? Beside, no one will know,
no one is here to spy on us. Come back, my little
girl... my little Lettice; come back to a lonely
man with nothing else in the world but you. I'll
come in with you, wait inside."

"No," she sobbed, "wait... here. I will see
...the medicine. Wait here for me, I will come
back. It doesn't matter how late it is, nothing matters
...trust in you. Love makes everything
good. Only you love me, oh, truly?"

"Truly," he reassured her. "Don't be long; and,
remember, shut Mrs. Caley's door."

She left him abruptly, and, standing alone in the
dark, he cursed himself for a fool for letting her
go -- a boy's trick. But then the whole affair did
not desperately engage him. He sat in the comfortable
chair, and lit a cigarette, shielding it with
his hand so that she would not see it, recognize in
its triviality his detachment. A wave of weariness
swept over him; the night was like a blanket on
the land. Minutes passed without her return; soon
he would go in search of her; he would find her...
in the dark house... He shut his eyes for a mo-

[[125]]

p124 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p125w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p126

v?