The girl showed no resentment, no surprise.

“Yes, I think I do,” she said.

“You are perhaps even prepared to admit that I wasn’t such a brute after all in attempting to prevent your doing as you did.”

“No,” monotonously.  “You could have prevented it if you hadn’t been a brute.”

Again the man looked at her, unconscious of self.

“You mean that you did really and truly care for me, then, Bess?  Cared for me myself?”

“Yes.”

“And that I frightened you back here?”

“Yes.”

Unconsciously the man swallowed.  His throat was very dry.

“And now that you’re no longer afraid of me, how about it now?”

The girl looked away in silence.

“Tell me, Bess,” pleaded the man, “tell me!”

“I can’t tell you.  I don’t know.”

“Don’t know?”

“No.  I don’t seem to be sure of anything now-a-days—­anything except that I’m afraid.”

“Of the future?”

“Yes—­and of myself.”

For once at least in his life Clayton Craig was wise.  He said nothing.  A long silence fell between them.  It was the girl herself who broke it.

“I sometimes think a part of me is dead,” she said slowly, and the voice was very weary.  “I think it was buried in Boston with Uncle Landor.”

“Was I to blame, Bess?”

“Yes.  You were the grave digger.  You covered it up.”

“Then I’m the one to bring it to life again.”

The girl said nothing.

“You admit,” pressed Craig, “that I’m the only person who can restore the thing you have lost, the thing whose lack is making you unhappy?”

“Yes.  I admit it.”

The man took a deep breath, as one arousing from reverie.

“Won’t you let me give it you again, Bess?” he asked low.

“You won’t do it,” listlessly.  “You could, but you won’t.  You’re too selfish.”

“Bess!” The man’s hand was upon her arm.

“Don’t do that, please,” said the girl quietly.

The man’s face twitched; but he obeyed.

“You’re maddening, Bess,” he flamed.  “Positively maddening!”

“Perhaps,” evenly.  “I warned you that if you stayed we’d be ourselves to-day.  I merely told you things as they are.”

Craig opened his lips to speak; but closed them again in silence.  One of his hands, long fingered, white as a woman’s, lay in his lap.  Against his will now and then a muscle contracted nervously; and of a sudden he thrust the telltale member deep into his trousers pocket.

“But the future, Bess,” he challenged, “your future.  You can’t go on this way indefinitely.  What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know.”

“Haven’t you ever thought of it?”

“It seems to me I’ve thought of nothing else—­for an age.”

“And you’ve decided nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing.”