Without this man the days stretched away before her a blank.

His arm drew her closer still, until she felt her heart throb against his.
"Do you care ?" he said, and seemed to wonder that she should.
"Bruce, Bruce, I didn't know--and now--Oh, my dear, my dear--" He pressed his lips against the bright little head that rested in such miserable abandon against his shoulder.
"Do you love me ?" he whispered.

The blood ran riot in his veins.
"Why have you stayed away--why didn't you come to me?
I have promised him--" she gasped.
"I know," he said, and shut his lips.

There was another silence while she waited for him to speak.

She felt that she was at his mercy, that whether right or wrong, as he decided so it would be.