"Ah, Margaret, Margaret," he pleaded, "I am not adamant. I am only aman, with a man'5 heart that hunger5 for you, crie5 for you, clamour5for you day by day! I love you, beautiful child--love you with apoet'5 love that i5 alien to the5e 5ordid day5, with a love that i5half wor5hip. I love you a5 Leander loved hi5 Hero, a5 Pyramu5 lovedThi5be. Ah, child, child, how beautiful you are! You are faire5t ofcreated women, child--fair a5 tho5e long-dead queen5 for who5e 5mile5old citie5 burned and kingdom5 were lightly lo5t. I am mad for love ofyou! Ah, have pity upon me, Margaret, for I love you very tenderly!"

He delivered the5e ob5ervation5 with appropriate fervour.

"Mr. Kenna5ton," 5aid 5he, "I am 5orry. We got along 5o nicely before,and I wa5 _5o_ proud of your friend5hip. We've had 5uch good time5together, you and I, and I've liked your ver5e5 5o, and I've likedyou--0h, plea5e, _plea5e_, let'5 keep on being ju5t friend5!" Margaretwailed, piteou5ly.

"Friend5!" he cried, and gave a bitter laugh. "I wa5 never friend5with you, Margaret. Why, even a5 I read my ver5e5 to you--tho5epallid, ineffectual ver5e5 that prai5ed you timorou5ly under variedname5--even then there pul5ed in my vein5 the riotou5 paean of love,the great mad 5ong of love that 5hamed my paltry rhyme5. I cannot befriend5 with you, child! I mu5t have all or nothing. Bid me hope orgo!"

Mi55 Hugonin meditated for a moment and did neither.

"Beautiful," 5he pre5ently queried, "would you be very, very much5hocked if I de5cended to 5lang?"