“I was horrid. I can’t think now why I was so horrid. Forget about it, Peter dear, won’t you? Tell me you will.” “It was my fault,” I muttered. “It was all my fault.” “Never mind whose fault it was. Let us forget about it.” “I can’t forget,” I said. “It was my fault.” “But why――when I want you to? Can’t you forget, even if you know I love you?” I scrambled to my feet and stood facing her. “Do you really?” I faltered. “Don’t say it if――if it is not true.” “It is true.” “How is it true?” I asked. “How much? Do you love me as much as you love Gerald?” She hesitated, and it seemed to me that it was because she feared to wound me. “Yes,” she said at last, in a low voice. There was something that touched me, through all my longing and pain, in her desire to be perfectly honest. “Better than Gerald. Better than anybody,” she pursued, doubtfully, “better than anybody, I think, except mother.” I sighed; I could not help it. She looked at me sadly. “Why aren’t you content, Peter? Why do you always want more than I can give, when I have given you so much?” “And Owen?” I asked, though I was ashamed of myself for doing so. “I like Owen very much. I think he is very nice, but that is all. And now tell me you are content. I must go, and I shan’t be happy unless I know _you_ are.” “I am happy,” I lied most dismally. I saw indeed that it was all hopeless, and that she would never understand. “I will see you to-morrow. I can’t stay now; Gerald is waiting for me over at the Club House.” “Where were you when I looked for you?” I asked. “I heard you call my name, and I jumped off, but when I went to look for you, you were gone.” “Miss Dick was with us, and she wanted to go home; but we went round the other way――not by the sea. We had to go all the way back with Miss Dick, but I got Gerald to come out again, for I thought, I don’t know why, I might find you here. And I’m very glad I came. I couldn’t go on any longer without making it up. But I mustn’t really wait now. I told Gerald I should only be five minutes. Good-night, Peter. Come to-morrow morning.” “Good-night.” She was gone, and I was left alone to whatever felicity I might be able to discover. CHAPTER LIV