"I didn't know that it was, but perhaps you are right," she assented with a sort of deathly quiet. Her veins seemed to be suddenly sucked dry of blood, her limbs became reed-like. After a dragging moment she spoke. Her mouth was dry, and it was difficult to enunciate. "It must be time to go back to the station," she said somewhat thickly. "My taxi is waiting around at the back of the house. Will you please call it, Alexis?" "But you can't go like this, without talking things over. Besides, you're not fit to go back yet. You look done up. You ought really to spend the night here!" His tone was full of compunction. The words sent a quick revulsion through her. An indignant strength flowed through her weakened limbs. She rose to her feet almost violently. "Oh no, Alexis. You can't mean what you are saying. I must return at once. I couldn't bear to stay another minute. If there's anything to talk over, any arrangements to make, you can write me. Please, please call my car at once!" But Alexis still hesitated. "I do not want to part in anger and I can't bear to have you not understand----" he glanced deprecatingly towards the house. She forced herself to smile at him valiantly. "It is all right, Alexis. I quite understand. She is both good and lovely." She faltered pitifully. "Be happy if you can. I want you to be!" She held out a tiny, trembling hand and he kissed it with affection and regret. A moment more, and the dust from her taxi rose in a white cloud between the gleaming valley and his smarting eyes. CHAPTER VI DARK DESPAIR It was a six mile drive to the station. Cleaving to the lip of the precipice, the road wound into the cup of the valley, where toy-like houses gleamed white from out checkered fields, and the serpentine river writhed sinuously. Heedless of stones and ruts, Claire's taxi swayed recklessly onward. Wan, drawn, she huddled in the back seat, clinging mechanically whenever a bump threatened to precipitate her into the ravine below. Clinging mechanically and instinctively only, for lurking destruction held no terror now. Indeed, had she been conscious of the dangerous opportunity, she would probably have permitted herself to be flung to death several hundred feet below. But she was as impervious to her peril as to the beauty about her. And every turn of the road revealed the valley in a new vista. Unseen hills and forests emerged magically, casting gorgeous patches of purple shadow before them. Incense of balsam and fir rose to the heavens in heady draughts like distilled sunshine. But Claire, swathed in her garment of misery, saw, felt nothing.