She did not repulse him now; she was too exhausted and worn out to struggle. She hardly realised the meaning of his words, but for this short minute she allowed herself to rest in his arms, with a vague feeling that it was only for this once--he must go away, he must marry Roma; it must be, he could not break his word; and she, Eugenia, would never see him again; she would not live long now, she had no strength to struggle back to common life again, as she had nearly succeeded in doing; it would be better for her to die quietly, and then it would not surely matter to any one that she had for this once smothered her maidenly dignify, had allowed the promised husband of another to hold her in his arms, to call her his dearest, to kiss her pale cheeks, and swear he would never give her up. Suddenly an approaching footstep startled them. Only a very few minutes had passed since Beauchamp had first returned to her, but to Eugenia it seemed hours. Captain Chancellor got up from the seat and stood quietly beside her, as if engaged in ordinary conversation. The new-comer was only a stranger who passed by without noticing them, but the interruption recalled Beauchamp's thoughts to outside matters. "I think perhaps I had better go," he said, reluctantly, "but I cannot leave you to find your way back alone. My friend, Major Thanet, is waiting for me a little further on. He is lame, and cannot walk home alone. Would you mind remaining here a very few minutes till I have seen him safe back to his room, and then I can return here for you?" The anxious tenderness of his words and manner was very sweet, to Eugenia, but she resisted the temptation. She had had her moment of weakness, but that was now past and gone. Still, this was not the time or place for saying what had to be said, nor had she now strength for any discussion. So she merely answered gently, so gently that any possibility of offence was out of the question-- "Please not. I mean, please don't come back for me. It is better not. I am quite able to go home alone now; but if you would rather," (in deference to a shake of his head), "you might leave a message at the hotel, asking Mrs Dalrymple's maid to come for me. She will not be surprised; she often goes out with me, and she knows this seat." "I will do so," he replied. "So you are with the Dalrymples!"--and Eugenia detected, and was not surprised at, a slight shade of annoyance in his tone. "Yes," she replied, simply. "But--but that will not matter?" he inquired, hesitatingly. "You are your own mistress. You will see me? I shall try to see you in an hour or two again. There will be no difficulty about it?" He had turned to leave her, but waited an instant for her answer. "Oh, no, there will be no difficulty. I will see you, or write to you," she said, a little confusedly.