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up to the door.’
‘I won’t go till you say you’ll forgive me.’
‘I’m sick and tired of the whole thing.’
He hesitated a moment, for he had an instinct that he
could say something that would move her. It made him feel
almost sick to utter the words.
‘It is cruel, I have so much to put up with. You don’t know
what it is to be a cripple. Of course you don’t like me. I can’t
expect you to.’
‘Philip, I didn’t mean that,’ she answered quickly, with a
sudden break of pity in her voice. ‘You know it’s not true.’
He was beginning to act now, and his voice was husky
and low.
‘Oh, I’ve felt it,’ he said.
She took his hand and looked at him, and her own eyes
were filled with tears.
‘I promise you it never made any difference to me. I never
thought about it after the first day or two.’
He kept a gloomy, tragic silence. He wanted her to think
he was overcome with emotion.
‘You know I like you awfully, Philip. Only you are so try-
ing sometimes. Let’s make it up.’
She put up her lips to his, and with a sigh of relief he
kissed her.
‘Now are you happy again?’ she asked.
‘Madly”
She bade him good-night and hurried down the road.
Next day he took her in a little watch with a brooch to pin
on her dress. She had been hankering for it.