Lloyd was stricken speechless.  For the instant she shrank before him as if from a murderer.  Bennett now knew precisely the terrible danger in which he left the man who was his dearest friend.  Would he actually consent to his death?  It was almost beyond belief, and for the moment Lloyd herself quailed before him.  Her first thoughts were not of herself, but of Ferriss.  If he was Bennett’s friend he was her friend too.  At that very moment he might be dying for want of her care.  She was fast becoming desperate.  For the moment she could put all thought of herself and of her own dignity in the background.

“What is it you want?” she cried.  “Is it my humiliation you ask?  Well, then, you have it.  It is as hard for me to ask favours as it is for you.  I am as proud as you, but I entreat you, you hear me, as humbly as I can, to let me go.  What do you want more than that?  Oh, can’t you understand?  While we talk here, while you keep me here, he may be dying.  Is it a time for arguments, is it a time for misunderstandings, is it a time to think of ourselves, of our own lives, our own little affairs?” She clasped her hands.  “Will you please—­can I, can I say more than that; will you please let me go?”

“No.”

With a great effort Lloyd tried to regain her self-control.  She paused a moment, then: 

“Listen!” she said.  “You say that you love me; that I am more to you than even Mr. Ferriss, your truest friend.  I do not wish to think of myself at such a time as this, but supposing that you should make me—­that I should consent to leave my patient.  Think of me then, afterward.  Can I go back there to the house, the house that I built?  Can I face the women of my profession?  What would they think of me?  What would my friends think of me—­I who have held my head so high?  You will ruin my life.  I should have to give up my profession.  Oh, can’t you see in what position you would place me?” Suddenly the tears sprang to her eyes.  “No!” she cried vehemently.  “No, no, no, I will not, I will not be disgraced!”

“I have no wish to disgrace you,” answered Bennett.  “It is strange for you to say that to me, if I love you so well that I can give up Ferriss for—­”

“Then, if you love me so much as that, there must be one thing that you would set even above my life.  Do you wish to make me hate you?”

“There is nothing in the world more to me than your life; you know that.  How can you think it of me?”

“Because you don’t understand—­because you don’t know that—­oh, that I love you!  I—­no—­I didn’t mean—­I didn’t mean—­”