His later sentiment for her had been a disgracing and a disgraceful thing, and he was glad to think of this boyish love, since it carried him back to a time before he had wrought only misery for himself.

She misunderstood his reticence, she could not realize that she had lost the power that had once been hers.
"What a mistake I made, Jack!" she cried, and stretched out her hands toward him.
He fell back a step.
"Nonsense!" he said.

He glanced sharply at her.
"How stupid you are!" she exclaimed.
She half rose from her chair with her hands still extended toward him.
For a moment he met her glance, and then, disgusted and ashamed, withdrew his eyes from hers.
Evelyn sank back in her chair, and her face turned white and she covered it with her hands.

North was the first to break the silence.
"We would both of us better forget this," he said quietly.
She rose and stood at his side.

The color had returned to her cheeks.
"What a fool you are, John North!" she jeered softly.