He glanced at her again with the same set look of disapproval still upon his face. "Kitty," he said, "if you knew what lives some of those men lead--the thoughts they think, the language they speak--you--you would not--" He stopped, for the sudden tears were in her eyes. Kitty was crying. [Illustration: "No!" said Kitty, "you do not love me"] "Oh, Rufus," she sobbed, "if--if you only knew! Who else could I go with--how--how else--Oh, I cannot bear to be scolded and--I only did it to make you jealous!" She bowed her head against her knees and Hardy gazed at her in awe, shame and compassion sweeping over him as he realized what she had done. "Kitty--dear," he stammered, striving to unlock the twisted fingers, "I--I didn't understand. Look, here are your flowers and--I love you, Kitty, if I am a brute." He took one hand and held it, stroking the little fingers which he had so often longed to caress. But with a sudden wilfulness she turned her face away. "Don't you love me, Kitty?" he pleaded. "Couldn't you, if I should try to be good and kind? I--I don't understand women--I know I have hurt you--but I loved you all the time. Can't you forgive me, Kitty?" But Kitty only shook her head. "The man I love must be my master," she said, in a far-away voice, not looking at him. "He must value me above all the world." "But, Kitty," protested Hardy, "I do--" "No," said Kitty, "you do _not_ love me." There was a lash to the words that cut him--a scorn half-spoken, half-expressed by the slant of her eye. As he hesitated he felt the hot blood burn at his brow. "Rufus," she cried, turning upon him quickly, "_do_ you love me? Then take me in your arms and kiss me!" She spoke the words fiercely, almost as a command, and Hardy started back as if he had been shot. "Take me in your arms and kiss me!" she repeated evenly, a flash of scorn in her eyes. But the man who had said he loved her faltered and looked away. "Kitty," he said gently, "you know I love you. But--" "But what?" she demanded sharply. "I--I have never--" "Well," said Kitty briefly, "it's all over--you don't have to! I just wanted to show you--" She paused, and her lip curled as she gazed at him from a distance. "Look at my horse," she exclaimed suddenly, pointing to where Pinto was pawing and jerking at his bridle rein. When Hardy leapt up to free his foot she frowned again, for that is not the way of lovers. He came back slowly, leading the horse, his face very pale, his eyes set. "You were right," he said. "Shall we go?"