There are few men in whom a woman's open refusal to yield a point, no matter how trifling, does not arouse a tyrannous masculine impulse to compel obedience. Stanton had really no great curiosity about the secret, whatever it might be, but he instinctively felt that it was right to demand the telling because his betrothed refused to speak. His face grew more grave. The hands upon Milly's shoulders unconsciously tightened their hold. The girl intuitively felt that a struggle was coming, although even yet the signs were hardly tangible. She grew a little paler, putting her hand beneath her lover's bearded chin, and holding his face up so that she could look straight into his fearless, honest eyes. "Dear John," she said, wistfully, "you know I never have a secret of my own that I keep from you in all the world." "But why," demanded he, "can it do any harm for you to give me some reason why you ever thought of telling me this; and just at a time, too, when we were talking of business." "Because," she answered, thoughtlessly, "it was about business." A new light came into Stanton's face. His lips subtly changed their expression. "It must have been a chance to make some money," he said. She grew deadly pale, but she did not answer him. He searched her face an instant, and then he lifted her in his strong arms, rising from the chair, and seating her in his place. He took a step forward, and stretched out his hand to take the paper she had thrown upon the table. With a cry of terror she sprang up and caught his arm. "John!" she exclaimed. "Oh, for pity's sake, don't look at it." He turned and regarded her with a more unkind glance than she had ever seen upon his face. "Will you tell me?" he asked. "I can't, I can't!" she answered, half sobbing. He looked at the paper, and then at his sweetheart. Then with a rough motion he shook off her fingers from his arm, and without a word went abruptly from the room. Milly looked toward the door which had closed after him as if she could not believe that he had really gone; then she sank down to the floor, and, leaning her head upon a chair, she sobbed as if her heart were broken. VI THE INLY TOUCH OF LOVE. Two Gentlemen of Verona; ii.--7.