She paused and looked back at him. Lawrence had now forgotten the boy; he had almost forgotten everything but that he must try and get this girl's forgiveness. For the instant nothing in the world, save her forgiveness, seemed worth anything. "I wanted to ask you one question," he said, humbly. He did not know that his hand which held his hat was trembling pitiably; but Carolyn saw it tremble. She seemed to hesitate, then she said, quickly: "Leander, run down to the beach and wait for me." Leander mumbled something, but he did not quite dare to disobey when his sister spoke like that. He walked away as slowly as he could possibly move, and he was continually turning his head back to look at these two. But even at this gait he did in time reach the little sandy beach, and they saw him sitting there and piling up sand over his feet. Now Carolyn turned and asked, "Did you wish to say something to me, Mr. Lawrence?" and immediately, "Will you please sit down? You look very ill." "No; I will stand. I won't detain you long. I wanted to ask you if you think you can ever forgive me?" Lawrence's voice was low and shaken; his hollow eyes, darkly marked beneath them, were fixed on the girl's face. She hesitated; he hastened to say, "I hope you don't think I mean for not marrying you,--I know well enough that that was a happy chance for you,--but for the grossly insulting way in which I left you. It is very little to say it was not planned--that I did not seek--that it was a chance--that--" But the man would not intimate what part Prudence had acted on that evening. He resumed, in a harsh tone, "Chance gave me the opportunity to be a villain, and I embraced the opportunity. Now can you forgive me?" Still Carolyn was silent. She was standing without the least movement, save the tremulous motion of the knot of silk at her throat. She was not looking at her companion; her eyes were fixed on the ground. Presently he began again. "I see how it is. It is too much to beg of any woman to forgive. Now I ought to ask you to forgive me for asking you to forgive. Can you do that?" He did not wait for an answer to this last question. Still with his hat in his trembling hand, he turned away and began to descend the rock. But a sudden and imperative physical weakness made him stumble. He could have cursed that weakness. Carolyn sprang forward; she caught hold of his arm. "You _are_ ill!" she said, in a half whisper. "Will you sit down here for a moment?" From very helplessness Lawrence was obliged to comply. He sat down; he did not try to speak. He had nothing more to say; and he was beginning to know how foolish he had been to say as much as he had said.