Christian came into the room; he heard her come, but he would not look round.  She slid her hand into his arm.

“Larry!  Dear!  Listen to me; there’s no way out of it but patience!  Dr. Mangan says he must be kept absolutely quiet, and have nothing to annoy him.  He says he might die in an instant in one of those attacks.  He’s not himself now, Larry—­so little makes him lose self-control—­” She paused, but Larry did not speak.  “You couldn’t want me to sacrifice the little share of life left to him to our happiness; I know you couldn’t!  Larry, he’s an old man; it can’t be for very long—­”

“I don’t see that that follows,” said Larry, implacably.  “He had strength enough to blackguard me very thoroughly, and it hasn’t done him any harm.  It seems to me, I’m the one to be sacrificed!”

“He spoke to Mother about us—­about what you said to him.  He began about it the instant he could speak.  She—­” Christian hesitated, “she could only quiet him by saying there was no engagement between us.”

“Then she said what wasn’t true!”

“Oh, it must be true!” said Christian, desperately; “it’s got to be true—­”

“Very well,” said Larry, moving away, so that her hand fell from his arm.  “If it’s got to be true I suppose there’s no more to be said.  I may as well go.  After all, I daresay you’re well quit of me.  Your father says I’m a damned Papist and—­”

“I won’t listen to you!” broke in Christian.  “What’s the use of hurting me and hurting yourself like this?  Larry, I’ll wait for you for ever—­you know that—­time will make no difference.  Don’t make it harder for me than it must be!”

“You don’t seem to think much about me” said Larry, with a still rage that was a new thing with him.  He left her side, and walked steadily to the door; then he turned, and in a few quick steps came back to her.  He put his hands on her shoulders; he was not much taller than she, and his eyes looked straight into hers.

“Then it’s true, is it?  You’re off it?  You’ve given me the chuck?”

He spoke roughly, and gripped her harder than he knew, and in the tension of her nerves, the roughness of the words and action cut her like the stroke of a whip.  Almost as if he had struck her, a splash of colour came in her face.

Larry was blind to the torture in her eyes, but he saw the quick red, and knew he had hurt her high spirit, and was glad.

“If you like to put it in that way!” said Christian, her head up, her mood answering his, “apparently it is the only thing to be done!”

There came a tap at the door.  Dr. Mangan’s voice said:  “I’m going back to Cluhir now.  Haven’t you to meet Father Greer at twelve o’clock, Larry?  I could give you a lift if you like—­”

* * * * *

From an early work on the Fauna of the Indian Forest the following extract may be quoted: