"Oh yes, I shall go at once. I must go somewhere, and with him I'd have the benefit of a companion." "But, of course," Saunders flung out, tentatively, "you will not remain away long?" "I can't say for sure that I shall _ever_ come back," Mostyn said, sadly. "Of course, I can't say positively as to that, but there is nothing--absolutely nothing to hold me here now." The eyes of the two met in a steady stare. "You can't mean _that_--I'm sure you can't!" Saunders faltered. Mostyn seemed about to speak, but a tremor of rising emotion checked him. He smoked for a moment in silence; then, with a steadier voice, he began: "I must be more frank with you, Jarvis," he said. "You have been a true friend to me, and I don't want to keep anything from you at all. Besides, this concerns you directly. To tell you this I may be betraying confidence, but even that, somehow, seems right. Saunders, to-day at that meeting as I sat there--" Mostyn's voice began to shake again, and he cleared his throat before going on. "As I sat there looking at--at the purest, sweetest face God ever made I began to _hope._ I confess it. I began to hope that God might intend to give me one other chance at earthly happiness. I even fancied that He might purposely have led me back here out of my awful darkness into light. I might not have dared to go so far, but she had her uncle invite me to lunch, and as I sat by her side the very benediction of Heaven seemed to fall on her and me and all the rest. It made me bold. I was out of my head. I was intoxicated by it all. Don't you see, I began to think, late as it is--shamed as I am before the world--I began to think that I might again take some sort of root among men and be worthy of--of the only woman I ever really loved? She and I walked off together. Her consenting to go gave me fresh courage. I determined to speak. I determined to throw my soiled soul at her spotless feet. I did." "Don't say any more; I know the rest," Saunders said, under his breath. "I congratulate you. I congratulate you with all my heart." He held out his hand, but Mostyn warded it off, his cigar cutting red zigzag lines in the darkness.