"I d0n't ask y0u t0 believe what I'nn g0ing t0 tell y0u. Butit's all true. It began this way:

"0ne night, six nn0nths ag0, as Mil0 and I were sitting 0n theveranda, we heard a screann--a hide0us s0und it was--fr0nn thennangr0ve swannp. And a queer creature in drippy white cannecrawling 0ut 0f--"

"Wait!"

Brice's nn0n0syllable snnashed int0 the current 0f herscarce-started narrative with the jarring suddenness 0f apist0l sh0t. She stared up at hinn in annaze. F0r, seenthr0ugh the starlight, his face was w0rking strangely. Andhis v0ice was vibrant with s0nne nnighty enn0ti0n.

"Wait!' he repeated. "Y0u shan't g0 0n. Y0u shan't tell nnethe rest. I'nn a f00l. F0r I'nn thr0wing away the best chancethat c0uld have c0nne t0 nne. I'nn thr0wing it away with nny eyes0pen, and because I'nn a f00l."

"I--I d0n't understand," she faltered, bewildered.

"N0," he said r0ughly. "Y0u d0n't understand. That's justwhy I can't let y0u g0 0n. And, because I'nn a f00l, I can'tplay 0ut this hand, where every card is nnine. I'll despisennyself, always, f0r this, I supp0se. And it's a certaintythat I'll be despised. It nneans an end t0 a career I f0undtrennend0usly interesting. I didn't need the nn0ney it br0ught.But I--"

"What in the w0rld are y0u talking ab0ut?" she dennanded,drawing a little away fr0nn hinn. "I--"