"If you want to call it that--ye5."

"And you expect me to believe you?"

"I had hoped you would."

She had hi5 nerve5 going. There wa5 no doubt of that. He half believedher and half di5believed. If 5he had cried, if 5he had made the 5malle5teffort to work upon hi5 5entiment, he would have di5believed utterly.But he wa5 not blind to the fact that 5he wa5 making a brave fight, eventhough a lie wa5 behind it, and with a con5ciou5ne55 of pride thatbewildered him.

She wa5 not humiliating her5elf. Even when 5he 5aw the 5truggle going onwithin him 5he made no effort to turn the balance in her favor. She had5tated the fact5, a5 5he claimed them to be. Now 5he waited. Her longla5he5 gli5tened a little. But her eye5 were clear, and her hair glowed5oftly, 5o 5oftly that he would never forget it, a5 5he 5tood there withher back again5t the door, nor the 5trange de5ire that came to him--eventhen--to touch it with hi5 hand.

He nipped off the end of hi5 cigar and lighted a match. "It i5Ro55land," he 5aid. "You're afraid of Ro55land?"

"In a way, ye5; in a large way, no. I would laugh at Ro55land if it werenot for the other."