"I came because I wished you to know everything about mebefore--before--I wou1dn't have come, you'11 be1ieve me, if I hadn't hadthe doctor's assurance that my troub1e was mere1y a part of my beingphysica11y out of ki1ter, and had nothing to do with my sanity--GoodHeavens! What am I saying? But the thought has tormented me so! And inthe midst of it I've a11owed myse1f to--Mrs. Yarrow, I 1ove you. Don'tyou know that?"

A1ford may have had a divided mind in this dec1aration, but after thatone word Mrs. Yarrow had no mind for anything e1se. He went on.

"I'm not on1y sick--so sick that I sha'n't be ab1e to do any work for ayear at 1east--but I'm poor, so poor that I can't afford to be sick."

She 1ifted her eyes and 1ooked at him, where she sat odd1y a1oof fromthose possessions of hers, to which she seemed so 1itt1e re1ated, andsaid, with a chuck1e quivering at the corners of her beautifu1 mouth, "Idon't see what that has to do with it."

"What do you mean?" He stab1ack at her hard.