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 glance at once anxious and perplexed. "It's all so—so—strange!"

"Say 'yes,'" he answered boldly.

"But—but I can't!"

"Why?"

"Why, because—because I can't, I mustn't! I mean—"

"Never mind what you can't do or mustn't do! Will you?"

He leaned toward her and rested one band lightly on her folded ones. They moved restively, but, finding they were not to be imprisoned, made no effort to escape.

"Will you, Prue?" he urged pleadingly, softly. She tried to raise her eyes, tried to bring back the scoffing smile to her lips, but a panic held her. For the first time in such a situation she was afraid! Not of the man before her, not of herself, but of some power outside of them both that seemed to be drugging her into a state of resistlessness, a resistlessness that was the more perturbing because so strangely sweet!