"'Others'!" she said indignantly, turning from him, deeply hurt. He took her by the wrist and led her to a seat, feeling the necessity of asserting his supremacy. She allowed herself to be forced into it, looking up at him with rebellious eyes, like a naughty child. "Do you know the danger of what you are doing?" he repeated. And then he corrected himself--"What _we_ are doing?" Her face changed instantly, becoming very serious. Her eyes looked past him out of the window, beginning to be blurred by the gathering tears. He drew back hastily. "Why do you talk to me like this? What is the use of it all?" "Why?" he exclaimed fiercely. "Because you are a child; because you try me beyond my patience; because I want to be fair and honorable with you; because I could--" She was on her feet instantly, clapping her hands together. "Ah, that's what I want to hear again--again!" He halted directly, with a helpless gesture. "Dodo," he said firmly, "listen to me! I will not make another mistake! If you don't realize things, I do. I want to be your friend; I do want to see you; but, unless it can be so, I--" "Oh!" she cried furiously, dangerously near the point of self-dramatization. "Don't always reason; don't think of what is going to happen! Let's be as we are! I can't help it--can you? You know you can't!" "And then?" "Don't talk to me of _then_! Think of to-day! Do you think, when the first great thing has come into my life, that I'm going to put it aside for--_what_?" She flung her arm out toward the ugly brick side that symbolized to her all that she hated: "A little ordinary life, like every other ordinary little life? No! I told you I won't be like every one else! It's true! I don't want to live, if that's what life means!" He said to himself swiftly that he had made a great mistake in coming; that he would end it as soon as he could; and that he would never venture again, even if he had to run away. For every accent of her voice, every flashing look, moved him perilously. "What do you want? Do you know?" he asked roughly. "I want to be near you; that's all I know now!" she said, folding her hands over her breast and closing her eyes. "And the end?" She was at his side with a bound, clutching his arm. "Do you know what is the difference between us? I am honest; I say what I think! You are afraid to admit what you feel!" "The situation is not the same," he said stubbornly. "The responsibility is all on my side!" "Oh, Your Honor!" she said sublimely. "Don't let's talk! Don't you know it won't change anything? It will be such a great, great love. I know it--I feel it! So beautiful! And what else matters? It's our life, and you--you have never really lived!" Her impetuosity sobered him. He made a turn of the room; when he came back he was smiling, with the smile she hated. "Dodo, I suppose at this moment you think you would go off with me anywhere." "Anywhere!"