Then Kitty asked quickly: "But you won't refuse to meet her?
It isn't as bad as that, Peter ?" He looked down at her oddly.
"It's quite as bad as that." She felt herself trembling a little at the queer intensity of his tone.
It was as though the man beside her were keeping in check, by sheer force of will, some big emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.

She hesitated, then spoke very quietly and simply: "That was a perfectly selfish question on my part, Peter.

Don't take any notice of it." "How--selfish ?" he asked, with a faint smile.
"Because, if you refuse to meet Nan, I shall always have to see you separately--never together.

I love you both and I can't give up either of you, so it will be rather like cutting myself in half." Mallory took her hand in both his.
"You shall not have to cut yourself in half for me, dear friend," he said, with that touch of foreignness in his manner which revealed itself at times--not infrequently when he was concealing some strong feeling.
"We shall meet again--some day--Nan and I.

But not now--not at present." "She'll miss you, Peter.