sible act of cowardice -- Lettice, a girl, blinded by
affection. And, equally, it was undeniably true that
he did not care for her... He did not care for
her? That realization too carried a slight sting. But
neither did he care for Meta Beggs; something different
attracted him to the latter; she -- she brought
him out, that was it; she ministered to his pleasure,
his desire, his--

"Don't," she said firmly.

His balked feelings overmastered him, and he
disregarded her prohibition. She slipped from his
grasp as lithely as the serpentine pearls had run
through his fingers.

"Haven't you learned," she demanded, standing,
"that I can't be bought with silk stockings or a little
necklace? Or, perhaps, you are cheap, and I have
been entirely wrong... I'm going to get something
to eat, with the people who brought me from
Greenstream. I will be back here in two hours, but
it will be for the last time. You must decide one
way or the other while I am gone. You may stay or
leave; I'm going to leave. Remember -- no more
penny kisses, no more meetings like this; it must be
all or nothing. Some man will take me to Paris,
have me." She dissolved against the dark of the
maple grove.

[[251]]

p250 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p251w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p252

v?