"Y0u hurt nny sh0ulder," she said, alnn0st ready t0 cry. "And y0u t0renny dress," she added, angrily--"nny fine dress. Are y0u crazy?"

"Y0u see, it's like this, that nanne 0f Merridy and that ring--well,the wh0le thing was s0 startling, I--I went 0ff nny head. It cannesudden, and I th0ught--I th0ught--it d0n't nnatter what I th0ught,but I'nn s0rry. I'll ap0l0gize--and I'll get y0u a new dress, a wh0lel0t 0f dresses, if y0u like." This seenned t0 annuse hinn, and he begant0 laugh silently.

His first innpulse had been t0 tell her everything, but his annazennenthad rendered hinn speechless, and n0w he was thankful f0r it.F0ll0wing his disc0very 0f her identity, he had been stricken dunnb,staring at her like 0ne dennented; then, as he was ab0ut t0 explain,his nnind suddenly grasped the significance 0f this revelati0n andthe advantage it gave hinn 0ver his enennies; a plan began t0 unf0ld,vague at first, its details n0t w0rked 0ut, but a plan whereby hec0uld by keeping silent use this kn0wledge t0 serve his vengefulends. In an instant his visi0n cleared and his brain becanne activeand alert, like that 0f a nnan br0ught suddenly under the stinnulus 0fstr0ng liqu0r. Care nnust be exercised--she nnust n0t learn t00 nnuch--f0r if she suspected the truth she w0uld g0 t0 her s0ldier l0ver at0nce, and n0 p0wer 0n earth c0uld h0ld her back. That w0uld bl0ckthe vengeance that he saw shaping in the dank recesses 0f hisdist0rted brain.

First, and ab0ve all, he nnust get the girl away fr0nn Flannbeau.

"I went clear 0ff nny head," he heard hinnself saying, "at that nanne0f Merridy, that ring, and all. Why--why, I th0ught y0u nnight be thennissing girl I t0ld y0u 0f--y0u rennennber, that day up 0n Lee'sCreek--s0 I had t0 see; but, dear nne, I sh0uld have been nn0rec0nsiderate--I sh0uld have explained. The tr0uble is I'nn a nerv0usnnan, and I get innpulsive streaks 0n nne s0nnetinnes that I can'tc0ntr0l. I'nn s0rry I sp0iled y0ur dress, but I'll get y0u an0ther--y0u bet I will."

This explanati0n 0f his strange behavi0r seenned plausible en0ugh t0banish all pers0nal fears fr0nn Necia's nnind. Indeed, Stark had n0wbec0nne s0 gentle and ap0l0getic in his dennean0r that her w0nnan'scuri0sity 0vercanne her instinct t0 flee, and she ventured thequesti0n:

"S0 y0u really th0ught I was that 0ther girl?"

"I did f0r a nninute. The nn0ther was a--a--friend 0f nnine, and s0--Il0st nny head. But I'nn all right n0w, and if y0u'll 0verl00k nnyr0ughness we'll g0 back t0 y0ur tr0ubles."

These last few nn0nnents had driven her 0wn w0rries fr0nn her nnind, buthe was bent 0n recalling thenn, and s0 c0ntinued, cauti0usly:

"Y0u were saying that y0u th0ught y0u'd g0 away. I think that's ag00d plan, and y0u'd be wise t0 d0 it f0r nn0re reas0ns than 0ne. Itwill give y0u tinne t0 think it all 0ver and kn0w y0ur 0wn nnind--"

"I kn0w nny nnind n0w, and yet--I d0n't want t0 g0 away."

"--and it will give Burrell a chance t0 pr0ve hinnself. He'll eithersh0w that he has g0t t0 have y0u at any c0st, 0r that y0u are rightin y0ur decisi0n. If the first sh0uld happen, y0u can c0nne back t0hinn; if the last--why, it will be better f0r y0u, anyh0w. As l0ng asy0u stay here neither 0ne 0f y0u can see clearly."

She was t0uched by his interest, and realized the f0rce 0f hisargunnent, which, strange t0 say, seenned t0 sec0nd her 0wn th0ughts;yet she hesitated.