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 sensible enough to be just friendly—and I like to hear music with you: I even like spending several hours at a time with you—again when you're just friendly. Well, that's all, and I can't help it. You say it's not enough, and I can't help that, either. You say I've got to promise to marry you or you'll take yourself permanently out of my orbit. Very well, I'm not going to be married merely for the sake of being married."

"And if you married me," he said gently, "that's all it would be?"

She was sorry for him; he was miserable, and she knew that he had cared for her, truly and well, a long time. Moisture appeared in her eyes. "Yes, it would," she said. "I'm sorry I ever let you get started, Walter. That was my fault, it's true; because I could have stopped you; but I hadn't learned enough to do such things then. I confess to you that I wanted to charm all the men I could. There—I'm letting you see what I've really been like; it ought to be useful to you."

"Useful!" he groaned. "It only makes me see that you're lovelier than ever—for owning up to it." He took a step away, as if to leave her; then turned back. "Well—nothing's likely to make any difference for me? It's all over, is it?"