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But she shook her head i: "I don't knohose dance it is, and I don't care Please go on It is--is pleasant I like Mr Siward; I like to hearit If you should ever come to care for my friendship that is the best passport to it--your loyalty to Mr Siward"

"No man can truthfully speak otherwise than I have spoken," he said gravely

"No, not of these things But--you knohat is--is usually said when his na men"

"Do you mean about his habits?" he asked si in that sort of thing? It angers le one a them qualified to criticise Mr Siward? And besides, it is not true any more! … is it?--as once said of him with--with some truth? Is it?"

The dull red blood ri, the while his eyes, expressionless and alht, never left her's, until, under the unchanging, merciless inspection, the mask dropped for an instant from her anxious face, and he sahat he saw

He was no fool What he had come to believe she at last had only confirhtening? And by what title did she demand his confidence?

"You ask me if it is true any more You mean about his habits If I answer you it is because I cannot be indifferent to what concerns him But before I answer I ask you this: Would your interest in his fortunes matter to him?"

She waited, head bent; then: "I don't know, Mr Plank," very low

"Did your interest in his fortunes ever concern him?"

"Yes, once"

He looked at her sternly, his jaw squaring until his heavy under lip projected "Within my definition of friendship, is he your friend?"

"You mean he--"

"No, I mean you! I can answer for hiives--if there is really friendship between you? Or do you take what he offers, offering nothing in return?"

She had turned rather white under the direct i repetition of his voice itself was like the dull echo of distant blows Yet it never occurred to her to resent it, nor his attitude, nor his self-assuer cared what he said to her or thought about her; nor did she care that her , but what her own heart repeated so heavily that drove the colour from her face Not he, but she herself had become the pitiless attorney for the prosecution; not his voice, but the claht she used the name of friendship to characterise the late relations between her and the man to whom she had denied herself