"Nina!"

"  Yes,  Richard ;  and  I  deserve  your  rebuke.  I
am  late  for  a  mission  so  important.  Yet  you  knew
I  would  come,  even  though  when  I  went  away  there
was  a  difference  between  us."

She  sat  down  on  the  settee  and  began  pulling  nerv-
ously at  her  gloves,  continuing  rapidly:

"  I  am  here  to  say  two  things :  one  is  *  Forgive
me ' ;  the  other  is  '  Let  me  help  you.'  I  was  the
more  to  blame  in  our  unbecoming  disagreement — "


THIS  WAS  A  MAN.  419

"  You  say  that?  "

"  Yes,  dear.  Our  difference  seems  trivial,  indeed,
in  the  light  of  this  week's  troubles,  all  the  difficulties
against  which  you  are  contending."

She  waited,  and  as  he  made  no  reply,  she  re-
minded him  gently,  "  I  am  asking  your  forgiveness,
Richard."

He  had  remained  standing.  Now  he  sat  down
upon  the  other  end  of  the  settee,  saying  brusquely :

"  Don't  do  it.  It  is  not  becoming  to  your  severe
classic  style.  Of  course  I  agree  with  you.  The
woman  is  always  to  blame,  especially  when  the
man's  crime  is  jealousy,  with  an  uncontrollable  de-
sire for  more  kisses  than  the  regulation  one.  I
don't  know  how  to  give  absolution.  I'm  so  seldom
called  upon.  Does  the  priest  salute  the  fair  peni-
tent? No?  Well,  I'll  not  be  severe  in  the  matter
of  penance  if  the  offense  be  not  repeated."

With  a  frank  smile  she  gave  him  one  hand,  still
gloved,  and  he  bore  it  to  his  lips.
"  I  wonder,"  he  mused,  "  to  what  extent  you
would  forgive  me."

" '  Unto  seventy  times  seven,' '  she  quoted,
smoothing  out  her  long  glove  on  the  seat  between
them.
