After a few moments he got up and walked slowly about, examining the few inexpensive ornaments on wall and mantel; turned over the pages of an album, glanced at a newspaper beside it, then came back and stood beside her chair.
"Letty ?" She opened her eyes.
"I suppose that this isn't the--first time." "No." "It's not far from it, though." She was silent, but her eyes dropped.
He sat down on the padded arm of the chair.
"Do you know how much money I've made this week ?" he said gaily.
She looked up at him, surprised, and shook her head; but her velvet eyes grew wide when he told her.
"I won it fairly," he said.

"And I'm going to stake it all on one last bet." [Illustration: "I won it fairly, and I'm going to stake it all on one last bet."] "On--what ?" "On--_you_.

Now, _what_ do you think of that, you funny little thing ?" "How--do you mean, Mr.Berkley ?" He looked down into the eyes of a hurt child.
"It goes into the bank in your name--if you say so." "For--what ?" "I don't know," he said serenely, "but I am betting it will go for rent, and board, and things a girl needs--_when she has no man to ask them of--and nothing to pay for them_." "You mean no man---excepting--you ?" "No," he said wearily, "I'm not trying to buy you." She crimsoned.

"I thought--then why do you----" "Why?
Good God, child! _I_ don't know! How do I know why I do anything?
I've enough left for my journey.

Take this and try to behave yourself if you can--in the Canterbury and out of it!.