seeing her again, he found her one evening in the
elevator as he went up to his mother's rooms. The
touch of her cold little hand on his sent a sudden
shock to his heart, and while he looked anxiously
into her face, he saw her go deadly pale and bite
her lip sharply as if to bring back her consciousness
by the sting of pain.

"You are ill," he said eagerly; "don't deny it, for
haven't I eyes? Yes, you must, you shall come with
me in to mother."

Even then she would have turned proudly away,
but with his impulsive, lover's sympathy he led her
from the elevator upon the landing on which he
lived. "She is waiting for you--she wants you,"
he urged with passion; "and can't you see--oh,
Christina, I want you, too!"

But his fervour only left her the more cold and
shrinking, and she shook her head with a refusal
that was almost angry.

"How dare you? Why did you make me come
out?" she asked. "I must go back--I am not well--
oh, I must go back!"

Over the angry tones of her voice he saw her en-
treating eyes shining like wet flowers, and as he looked
into them it came to him in a revelation of knowledge
that the meaning of everything that had been was
made clear at last. He knew now why he had suc-
ceeded where Christina had failed--he knew why
Laura had refused his love, and why, even in his
misery, her refusal had left his heart untouched.
And beyond all these things, he realised that now
his boyhood was over and that from the experience
of this one moment he had become a man.

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