He looks, thought Theo impatiently, like a slaughtered sheep, with his pop-eyes and tight curls, and he has lost his tongue as usual.

'Do tell me more of your life down South, Mr. Alston. Do you have many hunting parties? I have no doubt you are a superb horseman. Have you large stables?'

He neither moved nor answered. He continued to stare as though she were one of the curiosities in Mr. Beller's South Street Museum.

She laughed nervously. 'Indeed, Mr. Alston, I asked you a question.'

Was he further gone in liquor than she had supposed? She edged farther from him. How unpleasantly audible his breathing had become.

'It's—it's getting chill. I think we had better go in now'. She started to rise, but shrank back petrified as he made a lunge at her.

Before she could either run or struggle, he grabbed her roughly by the arms. Her head snapped back as his moist mouth closed on hers. Her hand flew out and landed a resounding slap on his ear. He clutched her the tighter, pressing her against the back of the bench until its rim cut sharply across her shoulders.

Her panic flamed to fury. She beat at his head with all the force of her fists.

Suddenly his arms dropped, limp as though they were broken. He slumped into the far corner of the bench.

'How dare you insult me like that—you yokel!' she whispered, shivering with anger and a sense of defilement. 'When I tell my father how you honor his hospitality, he will know what to do. Though I doubt that he will deem you enough of a gentleman to be eligible for the code duello.'

A muffled sound came from Alston. He buried his face in his hands and his bulky shoulders shook.

God's mercy! Now the man was crying. Amazement extinguished her rage. This monster who had assaulted her transformed like this into a shamed, blubbering boy.

She distinguished broken words. 'Miss Burr—can never make amends. I forgot myself. Apologize—I lost my head. You looked so unearthly beautiful.'

She felt a twinge of exasperated pity. No woman can listen quite unmoved to a man who pleads that her beauty overcame him.

'Please forgive me, Miss Burr. Your good opinion means more than I dare tell you'. He raised his head, and she saw genuine shame in his face.

Suddenly she felt a hundred years older than he, and impatiently maternal. 'Very well, Mr. Alston, I will accept your apology. Doubtless the wine was strong, and the moonlight made you over—over-susceptible.'