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to act。 Then you will be able to make a decent living。〃
She slowly shook her head。 〃I've no talent for it and no liking。 No； Mr。 Norman； I must go back to workand right away。〃
〃But at least wait until you've looked into the stage business；〃 he urged。 〃You may find that you like it and that you have talent for it。〃
〃I can't take any more from you；〃 she said。
〃You think I am not to be trusted。 I'm not going to say now how I feel toward you。 But I can honestly say one thing。 Now that you are all alone and unprotected； you needn't have the least fear of me。〃
She smiled faintly。 〃I see you don't believe me。 Well； it doesn't matter。 I've seen Mr。 Tetlow and he has given me a place at twelve a week in his office。〃
Norman sank back in his chair。 〃He is in for himself now？〃
〃No。 He's head clerk for Pitchley & Culver。〃
〃Culver！〃 exclaimed Norman。 〃I don't want you to go into Culver's office。 He's a scoundrel。〃
Again Dorothy smiled faintly。 Norman colored。 〃I know he stands wellas well as I do。 But I can't trust you with him。 That sounds ridiculous butit's true。〃
〃I think I can trust myself；〃 she said quietly。 Her grave regard fixed his。 〃Don't you？〃 she asked。
His eyes lowered。 〃Yes；〃 he replied。 〃Butwhy shouldn't you come back with us？ I'll see that you get a much better position than Culver's giving you。〃
Over her face crept one of those mysterious transformations that made her so bafflingly fascinating to him。 Behind that worldly…wise； satirical mask was she mocking at him？ All she said was： 〃I couldn't work there。 I've settled it with Mr。 Tetlow。 I go to work to…morrow。〃
〃To…morrow！〃 he cried； starting up。
〃And I've found a place to live。 Pat and Molly； will take care of things for you here。〃
〃Dorothy！ You don't MEAN this？ You're not going to break off？〃
〃I shan't see you againexcept as we may meet by accident。〃
〃Do you realize what you're saying means to me？〃 he cried。 〃Don't you know how I love you？〃 He advanced toward her。 She stood and waited passively； looking at him。 〃Dorothymy lovedo you want to kill me？〃
〃When are you to be married？〃 she asked quietly。
〃You are playing with me！〃 he cried。 〃You are tormenting me。 What have I ever done that you should treat me this way？〃 He caught her unresisting hands and kissed them。 〃Dearmy deardon't you care for me at all？〃
〃No；〃 she said placidly。 〃I've always told you so。〃
He seized her in his arms； kissed her with a frenzy that was savage； ferocious。 〃You will drive me mad。 You HAVE driven me mad！〃 he muttered。 And he added； unconscious that he was speaking his thoughts； so distracted was he： 〃You MUST love meyou MUST！ No woman has ever resisted me。 You cannot。〃
She drew herself away from him； stood before him like snow； like ice。 〃One thing I have never told you。 I'll tell you now；〃 she said deliberately。 〃I despise you。〃
He fell back a step and the chill of her coldness seemed to be freezing the blood in his veins。
〃I've always despised you；〃 she went on； and he shivered before that contemptuous wordit seemed only the more contemptuous for her calmness。 〃Sometimes I've despised you thoroughlyagain only a littlebut always that feeling。〃
For a moment he thought she had at last stung his pride into the semblance of haughtiness。 He was able to look at her with mocking eyes and to say； 〃I congratulate you on your cleverness in concealing your feelings。〃
〃It wasn't my cleverness；〃 she said wearily。 〃It was your blindness。 I never deceived you。〃
〃No； you never have；〃 he replied sincerely。 〃Perhaps I deserve to be despised。 Again； perhaps if you knew the worldthe one I live inbetter； you'd think less harshly of me。〃
〃I don't think harshly of you。 How could I after all you did for my father？〃
〃Dorothy； if you'll stay here and study for the stageor anything you chooseI promise you I'll never speak of my feeling for youor show it in any wayunless you yourself give me leave。〃
She smiled with childlike pathos。 〃You ought not to tempt me。 Do you want me to keep on despising you？ Can't you ever be fair with me？〃
The sad； frank gentleness of the appeal swung his unhinged mind to the other extremefrom the savagery of passion to a frenzy of remorse。 〃Fair to YOU？ No；〃 he cried； 〃because I love you。 Oh； I'm ashamed bitterly ashamed。 I'm capable of any baseness to get you。 You're right。 You can't trust me。 In going you're saving me from myself。〃 He hesitated； stared wildly； appalled at the words that were fighting for utterancethe words about marriageabout marrying her！ He said hoarsely： 〃I am madmad！ I don't know what I'm saying。 Good…by For God's sake； don't think the worst of me； Dorothy。 Good…by。 I WILL be a man againI will！〃
And he wrung her hand and； talking incoherently； he rushed from the room and from the house。
XII
HE went straight home and sought his sister。 She had that moment come in from tea after a matinee。 She talked about the playhow badly it was acted and about the women she had seen at teahow badly dressed they were。 〃It's hard to say which is the more dreadfulthe ugly； misshapen human race without clothes or in the clothes it insists on wearing。 And the talk at that tea！ Does no one ever say a pleasant thing about anyone？ Doesn't anyone ever do a pleasant thing that can be spoken about？ I read this morning Tolstoy's advice about resolving to think all day only nice thoughts and sticking to it。 That sounded good to me； and I decided to try it。〃 Ursula laughed and squirmed about in her tight…fitting dress that made an enchanting display of her figure。 〃What is one to do？ _I_ can't be a fraud； for one。 And if I had stuck to my resolution I'd have spent the day in lying。 What's the matter； Fred？〃 Now that her attention was attracted she observed more closely。 〃What HAVE you been doing？ You lookfrightful！〃
〃I've broken with her；〃 replied he。
〃With Jo？〃 she cried。 〃Why； Fred； you can't you can'twith the wedding only five days away！〃
〃Not with Jo。〃
Ursula breathed noisy relief。 She said cheerfully： 〃Ohwith the other。 Well； I'm glad it's over。〃
〃Over？〃 said he sardonically。 〃Over？ It's only begun。〃
〃But you'll stick it out； Fred。 You've made a fool of yourself long enough。 What was the girl playing for？ Marriage？〃
He nodded。 〃I guess so。〃 He laughed curtly。 〃And she almost won。〃
Ursula smiled with fine mockery。 〃Almost； but not quite。 I know you men。 Women do that sort of fool thing。 But menneverat least not the ambitious； snobbish New York men。〃
〃She almost won；〃 he repeated。 〃At least； I almost did it。 If I had stayed a minute longer I'd have done it。〃
〃You like to think you would；〃 mocked Ursula。 〃But if you had tried to say the words your lungs would have collapsed； your vocal chords snapped and your tongue shriveled。〃
〃I am not so damn sure I shan't do it yet；〃 he burst out fiercely。
〃But I am；〃 said Ursula； calm； brisk； practical。 〃What's she going to do？〃
〃Going to work。〃
Ursula laughed joyously。 〃What a joke！ A woman go to work when she needn't！〃
〃She is going to work。〃
〃To work another man。〃
〃She meant it。〃
〃How easily women fool