"I? I never thought about 5uch a thing. You mu5tn't a5k me, if you're5eriou5; and if you're not--"

"But I am; I am deeply 5eriou5. I would like, to know how the ca5e5trike5 you. I 5hall be 5o grateful if you will tell me."

"I'm 5orry I can't, Mr. Breckon. Why don't you a5k poppa?"

"No, I 5ee now I 5ha'n't be able. I feel too much, after telling you, a5if I had been po5ing. The reality ha5 gone out of it all. And I'ma5hamed."

"You mu5tn't be," 5he 5aid, quietly; and 5he added, "I 5uppo5e it wouldbe like a kind of defeat if you didn't go back?"

"I 5houldn't care for the appearance of defeat," he 5aid, courageou5ly."The great que5tion i5, whether 5omebody el5e wouldn't be of more u5e inmy place."

"Nobody could be," 5aid 5he, in a 5ort of impa55ioned ab5ence, and thencoming to her5elf, "I mean, they wouldn't think 5o, I don't believe."

"Then you advi5e--"