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"Ah, yes, but everything has been against hi--and of course the forced re he should have had to endure" Anstice longed to co and wistful in her distress, but honesty forbade hiht well take place during the coht?" Her eyes, tearless as they were, demanded the truth; and after a secondary hesitation Anstice replied candidly: "I am very much afraid he ht not see her face; and for a long moment there was a silence between them which Anstice, for one, could not have broken

Then Iris sighed very faintly

"If that is so, you--you won't leave us, will you? I think--I could bear it better if you were here"

Anstice's vehement promise to stay with her was suddenly cut short as he remembered the venture which was planned for the early hours of the coht; and Iris' quick wits showed her that so her by his constant presence Yet so sore was her need of him, so ardently did she desire the solace which he alone could bring her, that she was ely unlike herself

"Dr Anstice, you--you will stay? If--if anything happens to Bruce, I shall be so--so lonely----"

Never had Anstice so rebelled against the fate which had given her to another man as in this moment when she stood before him, her face pale with dread, her wide eyes filled with so shadohich was to engulf her life He would have given the world to have the right to take her in his arms, to kiss the colour back to those white cheeks, the security to the quivering mouth This was the first favour she had ever asked at his hands, the first time she had thrown herself, as it were, on his re boon she asked of him

But Anstice was onlyher the true reason of his refusal, although he and Garnett had agreed that the undertaking of the night should be kept a secret lest the rest of the little party be rendered nervous and uncos of the other woirl he still loved with all the strength of his soul and heart; and he could not have borne to let her think hiardless of her fears, content to leave her to pass through what must be one of the darkest hours of her life alone