ill—­body and soul.  The only hope for me was a complete change of circumstances—­to throw off the weight of my past life, and learn the meaning of repose, satisfaction, enjoyment.  I prescribe the same for you.  I am your physician; I undertake your cure.  If you refuse to let me, there’s an end of everything between us; I shall say good-bye to you tonight, and to-morrow set off for some foreign country.”

“How can I leave my work at a moment’s notice?”

“The devil take your work—­for he alone is the originator of such accursed toil!”

“How can I live at your expense?”

“That’s a paltry obstacle.  Oh, if you are too proud, say so, and there’s an end of it.  You know me well enough to feel the absolute truth of what I say, when I assure you that you will remain just as independent of me as you ever were.  I shall be spending my money in a way that gives me pleasure; the matter will never appear to me in any other light.  Why, call it an additional loan, if it will give any satisfaction to you.  You are to pay me back some time.  Here in London you perish; across the Channel there, health of body and mind is awaiting you; and are we to talk about money?  I shall begin to swear like a trooper; the thing is too preposterous.”

Eve said nothing:  she stood half turned from him.

“Of course,” he pursued, “you may object to leave London.  Perhaps the sacrifice is too great.  In that case, I should only do right if I carried you off by main force; but I’m afraid it can’t be; I must leave you to perish.”

“I am quite willing to go away,” said Eve in a low voice.  “But the shame of it—­to be supported by you.”

“Why, you don’t hate me?”

“You know I do not.”

“You even have a certain liking for me.  I amuse you; you think me an odd sort of fellow, perhaps with more good than bad in me.  At all events, you can trust me?”

“I can trust you perfectly.”

“And it ain’t as if I wished you to go alone.  Patty will be off her head with delight when the thing is proposed to her.”

“But how can I explain to her?”

“Don’t attempt to.  Leave her curiosity a good hard nut to crack.  Simply say you are off to Paris, and that if she’ll go with you, you will bear all her expenses.”

“It’s so difficult to believe that you are in earnest.”

“You must somehow bring yourself to believe it.  There will be a cheque ready for you to-morrow morning, to take or refuse.  If you take it, you are bound in honour to leave England not later than—­ we’ll say Thursday.  That you are to be trusted, I believe, just as firmly as you believe it of me.”

“I can’t decide to-night.”

“I can give you only till to-morrow morning.  If I don’t hear from you by midday, I am gone.”

“You shall hear from me—­one way or the other.”

“Then don’t wait here any longer.  It’s after midnight, and Patty will be alarmed about you.  No, we won’t shake hands; not that till we strike a bargain.”