"Have I not?" he broke in, grimly, and with a significant glance at the
revolver. "Oh, yes; I realize it clearly enough; it was because I did
that I decided to--slip out of it. I am sorry that you prevented me. It
was good of you; it was brave of you; you meant well. And you have
succeeded. It is a case of the interposing angel; but you have placed me
in a terrible fix. I don't know what I am going to do."
His hands fell to his side with a gesture of helplessness and despair,
and he turned his head away from the searching gaze of the clear eyes
regarding him so intently.
"Tell the truth," said Celia, in an urgent whisper. "Why should you
screen the guilty? Why should you suffer in his place? Oh, I don't want
to hear the story, it does not concern me. But if you told it to me, it
would make no difference, it would not alter my opinion that you intend
to do a very wicked things--and a very foolish one."
"Foolish! That hits me rather hard," he commented, with a wry smile.
"Well, it is foolish," said Celia, emphatically. "Why, look how young
you are!"
"Why, how young do you think I am?" he interrupted, looking down at her
with a grave smile. "As I said just now, you seem to regard me as if I
were a boy. I think I am as old as you--older. How old are you--you look
like a girl?"
"I am twenty-two--but what has that to do with it? How can you turn
aside, trifle----"
"And I am twenty-five," he said, with an involuntary sigh. "So you see I
am your senior. But they say a woman is always ten years older than a
man of the same age. I suppose that is why you always have us under your
thumbs. No, I'm not trifling. Don't you see that I am fighting for time,
that I am trying not to think, that I am putting the thing from me as
far as I can, even for a few minutes. Immediately you go, I shall have
to face it all again, and--alone. You have been very good to me; you
don't think I am ungrateful, because I--I play the fool?"
"Don't play it any longer, then," said Celia, earnestly. "Make up your
mind to do the right thing. Why should you ruin yourself? But I have
said that before. You know I am right; you say you are grateful because
I have stopped you from----" She shuddered, and her hand closed still
more tightly on the revolver. "Promise me----"