“Why you’re the Saint Francis of the Radicals,” Hildreth exclaimed.

“Please don’t make fun of me ...  I suppose you think me very foolish.”

“Foolish?...  No, I think you have a very beautiful soul.  I wish every man had a soul like that.”

She took my head in her hands and kissed me on the brow.

“Hildreth, only tell me what I am to do?”

“I do not know ... theoretically I believe in freedom in sex ...  I wish to God I could help you.”

“Why can’t you?”

“Hush, you do not know what you’re asking!”

“By the living Christ, I only know that I would crawl after you, and kiss your holiest feet before all the world, if you helped me.”

“Now I understand what Lecky meant when he spoke of the sacrificial office of a certain type of women ...  I only wish ... but come, we must go.”

I was on my feet beside her, as she rose.

“Yes, we had better go home,” I spoke quietly, though my heart pumped as if I had taken strychnine.

I put my arms about her, to steady her going, for she stumbled.

“Why, Hildreth, dearest woman, you’re trembling all over, what’s the matter?... have I—­I frightened you with my wild talk?”

“Never mind ... no, take your arm away ...  Let me walk alone a minute and I’ll be all right ...  I’ll be all right in a minute ... it’s just turned a trifle chilly, that’s all.”

“Hush!” going down the path by the big house, Hildreth stopped, hesitated.  “I’m—­I’m not going to the little cottage to-night.”

“Then I’ll say good-night!”

“No, come on in and we’ll sneak out to the kitchen and find something to eat ... aren’t you hungry?”

“A little bit.  But I’m afraid we might wake Ruth and Darrie up.”

We tip-toed in.  Hildreth searching for the matches, knocked the wash-basin to the floor.  We stood hushed like mice.

“Who’s down there?” asked Darrie’s voice, with a dash of hysteria in it ... of hysteria and fright.

“Damn it, there’s Darrie waked up.”

“Such a clatter would wake anyone up!”

"Who’s there, I say!"

“It’s only me, Darrie ...  I got hungry in the night and came up to the house to snatch a bite to eat.”

“Oh ...  I’m coming down to join you, then.”

We saw Darrie standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes luminous and wide with emotion.

She stood, rosy-bodied, in her night-dress, which was transparent in the light of the lamp she carried....

“Johnnie’s here, too!” warned Hildreth.

“Oh!” cried Darrie, and turned back, to re-appear in her kimono.

“I’m sorry we waked you up.  But I knocked that infernal basin down off the sink.”

“You didn’t wake me.  I was awake already.  I haven’t slept a wink.”

“Neither have we!” I responded.

“What?” Darrie asked me in so startled, impulsive a manner that Hildreth and I laughed ... and she laughed a little, too ... and then grew grave again....