aying, stroking her arm and h

ant me ..."

es

You don't mean it. D'

eek with his own, so that she could feel the soft bristles of his sh

" he breathed. "You

It's all the diffe

many others have

ruggled a little.

ed her cheek. "Tell th

s sombre eyes were steadily watching him, prying into the secrets o

he told her. "Isn't th

t she recovered some of her self-control. Pride was again active, the dominant emot

Jenny going home with half a face!" He laughed excitedly at his forced pleasantry, and the sound of his laugh was music to Jenny's ears. He was excited. H

one nothing but tease all the time.... Are you afraid, or what? Keith, dear: you don't know what it means to me. If you don't want me-let me go. I ou

eith's face, brightening his ey

the others, indeed! Jenny, there's no other-nobody like you

fool," Jenny

seemed to think for a

I planned the suppe

followed, holding her less vigorously, but in no way rel

," he said. "Make yo

rable." Jenny felt her h

eeks w

sorry y

brown cheeks for an instant before she was again enveloped in his s

n a moment he added:

ness a dim motion of exulting joy. Half suffocated, she was yet thrilled with delight in Keith's strength, with belief in his love because it was ardently shown. Strength was her god. She worshipped strength a

ing me," she war

ove me a

A li

me a lot! And you'r

to hers, and kisse

e fiercely

breathlessly, with brimming, glowing eyes. He t

murmured. "Aren't y

ught to know.... I

.... And a good old g

d come," urged Jenny, dril

u. It's not proper to ask you to come to me ... to believe you might come ... to

wouldn't

d have come-out of curiosity; but she'd have made a

more than they wounded him. Where Keith laughed, Jenny quivered. "You don't kn

. "Of course, it's marvellous

r girls ..." She could

used. "No other girls come on this yacht to see me. I've known other girls. I'v

at?" Jenny

and a bit over. A man doesn't get to my age...

Jenny said sharply. "It's

wiser than me. Say they've known a bit more. You

ne." The old unhappiness had returned, gripping her heart. She n

all been different?" Kei

ut them, each one....

ake my word for it. You

t to believe i

blazed. "I can't! Be dif

u knew I'd come. D'y

ink you are." His colour also rose. "You make too much fuss. You want me to tell you

an by his sudden movement. He slipped his arm again round her. Jenny did no

gh, Keith. Really it isn't! When you don't trust me. You sent for me, and I came. As

and his coaxing tone and concerned exp

t ..." Jenny hesitated. "You

want to fr

rself up, fra

f. "Oh Keith, I'm so sick of it!" He held her more tightly. All her efforts

ee you more than anything on earth. I wanted to kiss you. Good God,

i

eded clove the silence. Jen

u mean?" sh

s cheap ... when I'm in an abso

was incredulity itself

ything that's your fault. It's all mine. But, my good girl, that's ridiculous. What d'you think I know about you? Eh? Nothing whatever! Absolutely nothing! You think you're as clear as da

she said, deeply curious and o

began. "Well, Jenny: I told you I was thirty. I'm thirty-one in a couple of months. I'll tell you the date, and you can work me a sampler. And I was born in a place you've never set eyes on-and I hope you never will set eyes on it. I was born in Glasgow. And there's a smelly old river there, called the Clyde, where they launch big ships ... a bit bigger than the Miner

east against his, so that sh

only been afraid of him before; but I was growing up. Well, he put me to a school where they watched me all the time. I sulked, I worked, I did every blessed thing; and I grew older still, and more afraid of my father, and somehow less afraid of him, too. I got a sort of horror of him. I hated him. And when he said I'd got to go into the business I just told him I'd see him damned first. That was when he first saw that you can't make any man a slave-not even your own son-as long as he's got enough to eat. He couldn't starve me. It's starved men who are made slaves, Jenny. They've got no guts. Well, he threw me over. He thought I should starve myself and then go back to him, fawning. I didn't go. I was eighteen, and I went on a ship

pulling herself away.

t was li

u're hearing it al

was he

let me in badly; and Adela went back to her work and I went back to sea. And a year later I went to prison because a woman I was living with was a jealous cat and got the blame thrown on to me for something I knew nothing about. D'you see? Prison. Never mind the details. When I came out of prison I was going downhill as fast as a barrel; and then I saw an advertisement of Templecombe's for a skipper. I saw him, and told him all about myself; and he agreed to overlook my little time in prison if I signed on with him to look after this yacht. Now you see I haven't got a very good record. I've been in prison; and I've lived with three women; and I've got no pro

uestion for a long time; un

uzzled way, "is, what you'd think of me if I'd lived wit

y not been one of apology. But along with a natural complacency

rankly, "I should

u think I

ve me? Je

on't see why you s

had men running after you all the time? Have you been free night and day, with time on your hands, and temptations going. You haven't. You don'

y. "They like to have

for days together, and thinking as muc

it," Jenny said drily. "To a

w it, and sighed. Then he moved forward upon the

r be taking you ashore," he said i

ak my heart," Jenny whispe

his temper, and was full of impatience. He sat frowning, disliking her,

end!" Jenny was choking. "You thought I should jump for joy because oth

of me," Keith slowly said, making an effort

" she corrected. "And fall o

anger had passed in a deeper feeling. "I told you because you wanted to know about me. If I'd been the sort of chap you're thinking I should have told a long George Washington yarn, pretending to be an innocent hero. Well, I didn't. I'm not an innocent hero. I'm a man who's knocked about for fifteen years. You've got t

in deep thought. For a moment Keith remained seated: then he too rose. They did not l

urged at last. "But a human being. It takes a woman to be somethi

about. I've been thinking every minute of the day-about how you looked, and what you said; and telling myself-though I didn't believe it-that you were thinking about me just the same. And I've been planning how you'd look when I saw you again, and what we'd say and do.... You don't know wh

" he interposed. "Because I've b

at the seaside

for me. It was

ugh for both of us," Jenny

eyes out to-mor

" she assured

ride that's the real trouble, Jenny. You want to come round gradually; and tim

ad forgotten everythi

l you be away

o short, is it worth while to quarrel? You see what it is: if you don't try and love me you'll go home unhappy, and we shall

yourself," said Jenny, scorn

shock; Keith, with the sense that she was judging him harshly, was sullen with his deeply wounded heart. They both felt bruised and wretched, and deeply ashamed and offended. And then they looked at each other, and Jenny gave a smothered sob. It was all tha