Katrine

ne as a possibility. Accompanied only by her maid, Mrs. Ravenel started to Bar Ha

here was an elusive quality to her, days when she would barely permit him to touch her hand, when she dazzled him by the audacity of her thinking; her indifference to him, to him who was in no way accus

no word concerning it. If he came early, she welcomed him with shining eyes; if he were late, this incomprehensi

e said one day, when he had kept an engagement h

, the solace in the exercise of a great gift; had found that she could forget trouble in the world of inspired work;

aid. "I practised. One fo

sy of this gift of hers, of the thing which

t, when she had drawn herself away from him to liste

hat! Don't you see that it is all I have f

n between his words and the act, she b

ng more of

n give y

y heart, w

be laid a

hould help

hould bid t

n give y

g more, no

rning the song; but as the last note died away seated herself

ght of the window, he put his head back on the pillow with the air of one awakened from a feverish dream. But sleep had vani

which he acknowledged. Where was he going? He lay with open eyes, staring at the ceiling in the faint light of the coming dawn, with a sense of physical sickness at the thought of giving Katrine up, of letting her go out of his life forever. He had told her he cared more for her than he had ever thought

ris together. It would be years before he would care to marry. But at the thought Katrine's eyes came back to him. Francis the King! It was so she spoke of him, and it was this complete trust th

d tell her the truth about himself. He would make it clear to her, "damnably clear," he said to himself, with a set chin. She would be left wit

sunken. All the passion of which he was capable longed for this woman whom he

uddenly at the sound of his steps, an unopene

ked, anxiously, at sight of

ame at what I have been doing; shame

parted as she stood with eyes fastene

uch that I thought of nothing else, wanted nothing else, but to be near you. But never, never for one ins

ce exquisitely pale, her eyes darkened, her mouth drawn;

u to know the truth just as it stands, to know me exactly as I am. My mother would object to my marrying you, but if I did it she would in time become reconciled. I have my

ut sat looking away from h

cad you think me to be; only say something. I cannot endure this. With every fibre of me I am longing to take

instant before she cont

thing to say ex

though to leave him, but he held her back. The great womanliness of her, the ability to suffer in silen

id. "Oh, say you fo

o suffer like this. I might have known, had I thought about it at all, that you would never marry me. But it seemed so per

to protect himself from a physi

e best, for we may never meet again. Oh, please God," she

spoke. He reached his arms toward her, but she moved away, sitting s

that means not enough to eat nor enough clothes to keep one warm; to years and years of want and despair and misery. As I grew older and went to the convent schools, some of the girls invited me home with them. It was because of my looks and my voice, you know." There was sweet humility in the statement, as though apologizing for the fact that she had be

you will see sorrow is no new thing to me. I do not question it. I have had in my life three perfectly happy months, perfectly happy. It is as much as a woman can expect, perhaps, and though it kill me, though it kill me, I shall never re

you with me! Will you remember it in the years to come, when you are older and will understand what it means? Will you, oh, for God's sake, Katrine, rememb

suffused her f

off a blow. "Don't! Don't say it! Don't even think it! Believe m