Marcia threw herself into an eager recapitulation of Mrs. Betts's arguments. Her innocence, her ignorance, her power of feeling, and her instinctive claim to have her own way and get what she wanted,--were all perceptible in her pleading. Newbury listened with discomfort and distress--not yielding, however, by the fraction of an inch, as she soon discovered. When she came to an abrupt pause, the wounded pride of a foreseen rebuff dawning in her face, Newbury broke out: "Darling, I _can't_ discuss it with you! Won't you trust me--Won't you believe that neither father nor I would cause these poor things one moment's pain--if we could help it?" Marcia drew away from him. He divined the hurt in her as she began twisting and untwisting a ribbon from her belt, while her lip trembled. "I can't understand," she said, frowning--"I can't!" "I know you can't. But won't you trust me? Dearest, you're going to trust me with your whole life? Won't you?" He took her in his arms, bending his handsome head to hers, pleading with her in murmured words and caresses. And again she was conquered, she gave way; not without a galling consciousness of being refused, but thrilled all the same by the very fact that her lover could refuse her, in these first moments of their love. It brought home to her once more that touch of inaccessible strength, of mysterious command in Newbury, which from the beginning had both teased and won her. But it was on her conscience at least to repeat to him what Coryston had said. She released herself to do it. "Coryston said, Edward, I was to tell you to 'take care.' He has seen Mr. and Mrs. Betts, and he says they are very excitable people--and very much in love. He can't tell what might happen." Newbury's face stiffened. "I think I know them as well as Coryston. We will take every care, dearest. And as for thinking of it--why, it's hardly ever out of my mind--except when I'm with you! It hangs over me from morn till night." Then at last she let the subject be dismissed; and they loitered home through the woods, drawing into their young veins the scents and hues of the June day. They were at that stage in love, when love has everything to learn, and learns it through ways as old and sweet as life. Each lover is discovering the other, and over the process, Nature, with her own ends in view, throws the eternal glamour.