“You can’t help yourself in the end. Why prolong my suspense? Everything is against you. Even Fate is pairing off the others and leaving you and me alone. I know quite well you are lonely—desperately lonely—but it is your own fault. If you would only be sensible and let yourself follow the dictates of your heart, instead of a warped conscience, you could be happy with the rest. I say your heart, because somewhere, hidden away, there’s a soft corner for me you are afraid of. Isn’t that so, Paddy!” and he looked searchingly into her face. She made no reply, staring into the fire with a perplexed, unhappy expression. He put one hand over the fingers nearest him and held them fast. She attempted to draw them away, but he retained his hold, and for the moment she went with the flood. “You have not answered me, mavourneen.” “I have only one answer—I will not give in.” “And I say you will. This new loneliness has come to help me. Already you are nearer to me than ever before.” She drew a long breath. “It is only because I see we must come to a real understanding once for all. We can’t just go on as we have. That’s chiefly why I remained here now. I want to make you understand.” She sat up and drew her hand away. “Lawrence, you must leave me in peace. A man cannot honestly want to marry a girl who—who—” Ah! why did she falter? “Well, little woman! Who—who—!” “Doesn’t love him,” a trifle lamely. “Ah, Paddy! you were going to say ‘hate,’ and the lie died on your lips.” She flushed in the firelight, but continued bravely: “It makes very little difference. The fact remains that I do not love you and I will not marry you.” “Marry me first, and I will soon teach you to love.” She felt her breath coming fitfully and her pulses leaping strangely, and she bit her teeth together to steady herself as she still stared into the fire. Oh! why did he give her that unnerved feeling! What in the world was the matter with her! She felt as if she only waited to hide her face in the cushion. He seemed to understand, for he turned his eyes away, and, leaning forward, softly kissed her hand. “It would be difficult, little woman—you were made for love, and I—well, I somehow seem to just worship you, and that’s all about it.” Once more she tried to rally herself, pressing her hands to her eyes as if to shut out everything that distracted her from her one purpose.