6

A faint light was creeping over the bowl-like sky. And a fainter colour was spreading upward from the eastern horizon. The thousands of night stars had disappeared, leaving only one, the great star of the morning. It sent out little points of light, like the Star of the East in Sunday school pictures. It seemed to stir with white incandescence.

Henry straightened up; gently placed Corinne against the breakwater; covered his face.

She considered him from under lowered eyelids. Her face was expressionless. She didn't smile. And she wasn't singing now. She smoothed out her skirt, rather deliberately and thoughtfully.

'Think of it!' Henry broke out with a shudder. 'It's a dreadful thing that's happened!'

'It might be,' said Corinne very quietly, 'if Arthur didn't have the sense to take that train.'

'And we're sitting here as if——'

'Listen! What on earth made you go back to the house?'

'I can't tell you. I don't know. I had to.'

'Hm! You certainly did it. You're not lacking courage, Henry.'

He said nothing to this. He didn't feel brave.

'Mildred was foolish. She shouldn't have let herself get so stirred up. She ought to have gone back.'

'How can you say that! Don't you see that she couldn't!'

'Yes, I saw that she couldn't. But it was a mistake.' Henry was up on his knees, now, digging sand and throwing it.

'It was love,' he said hotly—'real love.'

'It's a wreck,' said she.

'It can't be. If they love each other!'

'This town won't care how much they love each other. And there are other things. Money.'

'Bah! What's money!'

'It's a lot. You've got to have it.'

'Haven't you any ideals, Corinne?'

She reflected. Then said, 'Of course.' And added: 'She had Arthur where she wanted him. That's why he went away, of course. He thought she'd caught him. Now she's lost her head and let him get away. Dished everything. No telling what he'll do when he finds out.'

'He mustn't find out.' Henry was not aware of any inconsistency within himself.

'He will if she's going to lose her head like this. There are some things you have to stand in this world. One of the things Mildred had to stand was a husband.'

'But how could she go back to him—to-night—feeling this way?'

'She should have.'

'You're cynical.'

'I'm practical. Do you want her to go through a divorce, and then marry Humphrey? That'll take money. It's a luxury. For rich folks.'

'Don't say such things, Corinne!'

'Why not. She's made the break with Arthur. Now the next thing's got to happen. What's it to be?'

Henry got to his feet. He gazed a long time at the morning star.

The university clock struck three.

Henry shivered..

'Come,' he said. 'Let's get back.' It didn't occur to him to help her up.

The four of them lingered a few moments at Mildred's door. Humphrey finally led Mildred in. For a last goodnight, plainly.

Corinne smiled at Henry. It was an odd, slightly twisted smile.

'After all,' she murmured, 'there's no good in taking things too seriously.'

He threw out his hands.

'You think I'm hard,' she said, still with that smile.

'Don't! Please!'

'Well—good-night. Or good-morning.'

She gave him her hand. He took it. It gripped his firmly, lingeringly. He returned the pressure; coloured; gripped her hand hotly; moved toward her, then sprang away and dropped her hand.

'Why—Henry!'

'I'm sorry. I don't know what's the matter with me. I was looking at that star——'

'I saw you looking at it.'

'I was thinking how white it was. And bright. And so far away. As if there wasn't any use trying to reach it. And then—oh, I don't know—Mr Henderson made me blue, the way he looked to-night. And Humphrey and Mildred—the awful fix they're in. And you and me—I just can't tell you!'

'You're telling me plainly enough,' she said wearily.

'Do you ever hate, yourself?'

She didn't answer this. Or look up.

'Did you ever feel that you might turn out just—oh well, no good? Mr Henderson made me think that.'

'He isn't much good,' said she.

'As if your life wasn't worth making anything out of? Your friends ashamed of you? They talk about me here now. And I haven't been bad. Not yet. Just one or two little things.'

Her lips formed the words, in the dark, 'You're not bad.'

Then she said, rather sharply: 'Don't stand there looking like a whipped dog, Henry.'

'I'll go,' he said; and turned.

'You re the strangest person I ever knew,' she said. 'Maybe you are a genius. Considering that Mildred completely lost her nerve, your handling of Arthur came pretty near being it. I wonder.'

Humphrey and Mildred came out.

She came straight to him; gave him both her hands. 'You've settled everything for us. Humphrey, I want to kiss Henry. I'm going to.'

Henry received the kiss like an image. Then he and Humphrey went away together into the dawn.

'No good going to the rooms now,' Humphrey remarked. 'Let's walk the beach.'

Henry nodded dismally.