Hallowell the
spirit of his sister."
In the eyes of Winthrop the look of pain, of disappointment, of
reproach, was so keen, that the girl turned her own away.
"No," said the man gently, "you will not do that."
"You can stop my doing it tonight," returned the girl, "but at
some other time, at some other place, I will do it."
"You yourself will stop it," said Winthrop. "You are too honest,
too fine, to act such a lie. Why not be yourself?" he begged.
"Why not disappoint these other people who do not know you? Why
disappoint the man who knows you best, who trusts you, who
believes in you -- ".
"You are the very one," interrupted the girl, "who doesn't know
me. I am not fine; I am not honest. I am a charlatan and a
cheat; I am all that woman called me. And that is why you can't
know me. That's why. I told you, if you did, you would be
sorry."
"I am not sorry," said Winthrop.
"You will be," returned the girl, "before the night is over."
"On the contrary," answered the man quietly, "I shall wait here
to congratulate you -- on your failure."
"I shall not fail," said the girl. Avoiding his eyes, she turned
from him and, for a moment, stood gazing before her miserably.
Her lips were trembling, her eyes moist with rising tears. Then
she faced him, her head raised defiantly.
"I have been hounded out of every decent way of living," she
protested hysterically. "I can make thousands of dollars
tonight," she cried, "out of this one.
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