"So, you're in love with Miss Chambers! Miss Chambers--a janitor. What a lovely match! Of course you've told her, and she's said yes!" "I shall never tell her," David said quietly. The bitterness and mockery began to fade slowly from her face, and meditation came in their stead; and when she spoke again her tone was the tone of argument. "Don't you know that she's far, far above you? You're a fool to think of her! Why, you can never get her--never! You see that, don't you?" "Yes." He raised a peremptory, entreating hand. "Please!--let's not speak of her." Her whole body quickened. "After her, do you like any woman better than me?" she demanded. He shook his head. "No." "She's out of the question for you--she doesn't live!" She crept slowly toward David, her eyes burning into his. "There's no one between us," she said in a low, choked voice. Then her voice blazed up, her words rushed out. "You do not want me now, but you will! I'll make you love me. I'll be anything you like--I'll be honest!--I'll work! Yes, yes, I'll make you love me, David!" Her hands had clutched his, and she now held up her quivering face. "I'm going to be honest for your sake, David. Kiss me!" David was agonised with the pang of her tragedy, with the shame of his own great part in it. "Forgive me," he whispered huskily; and he stooped and pressed his lips to hers. She gave a little cry and flung her arms about his neck and held him tight. Then breathing against his cheek, "You'll love me yet, David!" she abruptly withdrew her arms, and the next moment was out of the room. CHAPTER V ON THE UPWARD PATH Kate's last sentence, "You'll love me yet, David!" recurred to him constantly during the next two days. He would not, of course--yet he could but muse upon the possibility. We are all creatures of change. Our views of to-day may not be our views of to-morrow, our dislikes of this year may be our desires of next. Since, as Kate had said, Helen Chambers did not live for him, might there not take place within him such a change as would make him yearn for the love he now could not accept? David looked forward with dread to his next meeting with Kate. He feared another such scene, so painful to them both, as the one they had just passed through. But his fear was needless. Kate's nature was an impetuous one, little schooled to control, but her will was strong and she was capable of restraint as well as of abandon. She knew enough of character to see that David could be eventually won to be more than friend only by now asking and giving no more than friendship; and she was strong enough to hold herself to this course.