Page:The Black Camel (IA blackcamel0000earl).djvu/44

“What's true?”

“The thing Van Horn told me this afternoon. I refused to believe it of you—it’s too childish—too ignorant. You sent for that damned fortune-telling charlatan, and he decided it for you. He advised you not to take me.” She turned away, without speaking. The man’s face flushed with anger. “If you had any sane reason,” he continued, controlling himself with an effort, “I’d take my medicine quietly. But this—this is too much. To let a fakir—a crystal-gazer—a cheap fraud, come between us—by the lord, I won’t stand for it. I thought on the boat you loved me———”

“Maybe I did,” she answered sadly.

“Then nothing in this world shall stop me———”

“Wait, Alan, wait, please,” she cried. “It’s for you—I’m doing this for you. You must believe that. There could be no happiness for us———”

“So that’s what he told you, eh?”

“That’s what he told me, but he was only repeating what was in my heart. The past, Alan—the past won’t die———”

“I’ve told you I don’t give a hang about what’s past.”

“Oh, but you don’t know, Alan—and I can’t tell you. I’m trying to do the decent thing—you’re so fine and straight—I couldn’t bear it if I ended by dragging you through the dust. Please, Alan, please———”

“I don’t want to understand,” Jaynes cried. “I only want you—to love and take care of—see here, my time is brief, so pitifully brief. I must leave at midnight—you know that. Forget this fool of a fortune-teller. I can’t understand your faith in him, I can’t