His face grew sober. "I wanted her to see us; I want her to know I think it's a compliment if you talk to me by the roadside. That's all. No, it isn't all," he went on. "I want you to decide something, and now it'll be easier for you to decide, because they did see us. I'm in earnest; I don't want any prudish weights on this conversation. If they think there's something wrong, so much the better. But the very first thing I want to say to you is, that I've been a pup. I want to be a man with you--as much of a man as you were a noble girl by coming over to Arden the other night!" She was staring at him in utter amazement. "You saw through me that night," he was talking more hurriedly. "You know what a scoundrel I was! There's no use mincing words, no use holding up the mask any more. If it hurts you, remember I'm not sparing myself;--I couldn't spare myself, for you've made me feel too unutterably low. But I do want to be honest with you!" "Brent," she gave a curious little laugh, "what's the matter with you tonight?" "There's nothing the matter--yes, there is, too! There's everything the matter. I'm just a curl of smoke from hell when I drink too much. Any draft of desire takes me with it--sucks me up the black flues of intrigue and adventure. I'm making no excuses, for I like it. It's fascinatingly kaleidoscopic. It's Life; reflected and re-reflected in Life's thousand mirrors, with the beauties magnified and the dull places rubbed out. No apology for myself--but I'm accountable to you when you're drawn into it!" He was talking blindly, impulsively ahead, carried on a wave of self denunciation, and not considering that she might be wholly perplexed by the metaphors which sprang so rapidly from his tongue. She merely stood looking up at him; understanding only that he was moved by a tremendous force, and that somehow she--as he had just said--was drawn into it. "A week ago tonight," he began, but she gave a quick, inarticulate cry. "Please don't say anything about that night," her voice was trembling. "It burns my soul!" "Yes, I will. We'll look at it squarely for this once, and your soul will treat it calmly. Why not? Wasn't it your victory? Forget you're a girl, and I a man, and for a minute let's have honest outspoken words which might come from two people who've been through an hour neither one of them will ever forget!" "No, I won't ever forget," she murmured. "Nor I. Did you know I was a sneak in pretending to love you then? Did you know it was a lie?" She could never have realized what it cost him to blurt out these words. "I knew it when--I had a chance to think," she faltered, not feeling that outspoken thoughts were as simple as he seemed to find them, "When I saw it wasn't you that I loved, but just the things you said, I knew I couldn't love you either. That's made it seem easier, Brent." "And still you came to Arden to help me?" he looked curiously down at her.