She began to walk towards the door while she was speaking. They reached it in silence, and went out into the blazing sun. Clare had Brook's note still in her hand, and held it up to shield the glare from the side of her face as they crossed the platform. Then she realised that she had brought him to the very spot whereon he had said good-bye to Lady Fan. She stopped, and he stood still beside her. "Not here," she said. "No--not here," he answered. "There's too much sun--really," said she, as the colour rose faintly in her cheeks. "It's only to say good-bye," Brook answered sadly. "I shall always remember you just as you are now--with the sun shining on your hair." It was so bright that it dazzled him as he looked. In spite of the heat she did not move, and their eyes met. "Mr. Johnstone," Clare began, "please stay. Please don't let me feel that I have sent you away." There was a shade of timidity in the tone, and the eyes seemed brave enough to say something more. Brook hesitated. "Well--no--it isn't that exactly. I've heard something--my father has told me something since I saw you--" He stopped short and looked down. "What have you heard?" she asked. "Something dreadful about us?" "About us all--about him, principally. I can't tell you. I really can't." "About him--and my mother? That they were married and separated?" The steady innocent eyes had waited for him to look up again. He started as he heard her words. "You don't mean to say that you know it too?" he cried. "Who has dared to tell you?" "My mother--she was quite right. It's wrong to hide such things--she ought to have told me at once. Why shouldn't I have known it?" "Doesn't it seem horrible to you? Don't you dislike me more than ever?" "No. Why should I? It wasn't your fault. What has it to do with you? Or with me? Is that the reason why you are going away so suddenly?" Brook stared at her in surprise, and the dawn of returning gladness was in his face for a moment. "We have a right to live, whatever they did in their day," said Clare. "There is no reason why you should go away like this, at a moment's notice." With an older woman he would have understood the first time, but he did not dare to understand Clare, nor to guess that there was anything to be understood. "Of course we have a right to live," he answered, in a constrained tone. "But that does not mean that I may stay here and make your life a burden. So I'm going away. It was quite different before I knew all this. Please don't stay out here--you'll get a sunstroke. I only wanted to say good-bye." Man-like, having his courage at the striking-point, he wished to get it all over quickly and be off. The colour sank from Clare's face again, and she stood quite still for a moment, looking at him. "Good-bye," he said, holding out his hand, and trying hard to smile a little.