At last Montague himself started to leave.  But he heard Mrs. Winnie coming back, and he waited for her.  She came in and shut the door, and turned toward him.

“What did he say?” she asked.

“He—­was very pleasant,” said Montague.

And she smiled grimly.  “I went out on purpose,” she said.”  I wanted you to see him—­to see what sort of a man he is, and how much ‘duty’ I owe him!  You saw, I guess.”

“Yes, I saw,” said he.

Then again he started to go.  But she took him by the arm.  “Come and talk to me,” she said.  “Please!”

And she led him back to the fire.  “Listen,” she said.  “He will not come here again.  He is going away to-night—­I thought he had gone already.  And he does not return for a month or two.  There will be no one to disturb us again.”

She came close to him and gazed up into his face.  She had wiped her tears away, and her happy look had come back to her; she was lovelier than ever.

“I took you by surprise,” she said, smiling.  “You didn’t know what to make of it.  And I was ashamed—­I thought you would hate me.  But I’m not going to be unhappy any more—­I don’t care at all.  I’m glad that I spoke!”

And Mrs. Winnie put up her hands and took him by the lapels of his coat.  “I know that you love me,” she said; “I saw it in your eyes just now, before he came in:  It is simply that you won’t let yourself go.  You have so many doubts and so many fears.  But you will see that I am right; you will learn to love me.  You won’t be able to help it—­I shall be so kind and good!  Only don’t go away—­”

Mrs. Winnie was so close to him that her breath touched his cheek.  “Promise me, dear,” she whispered—­“promise me that you won’t stop seeing me—­that you will learn to love me.  I can’t do without you!”

Montague was trembling in every nerve; he felt like a man caught in a net.  Mrs. Winnie had had everything she ever wanted in her life; and now she wanted him!  It was impossible for her to face any other thought.

“Listen,” he began gently.

But she saw the look of resistance in his eyes, and she cried “No no—­don’t!  I cannot do without you!  Think!  I love you!  What more can I say to you?  I cannot believe that you don’t care for me—­you have been fond of me—­I have seen it in your face.  Yet you’re afraid of me—­why?  Look at me—­am I not beautiful to look at I And is a woman’s love such a little thing—­can you fling it away and trample upon it so easily?  Why do you wish to go?  Don’t you understand—­no one knows we are here—­no one cares!  You can come here whenever you wish—­this is my place—­mine!  And no one will think anything about it.  They all do it.  There is nothing to be afraid of!”

She put her arms about him, and clung to him so that he could feel the beating of her heart upon his bosom.  “Oh, don’t leave me here alone to-night!” she cried.

To Montague it was like the ringing of an alarm-bell deep within his soul.  “I must go,” he said.