"
This time Stephen was really surprised, and all his early interest in
the young creature woke again; the personal sort of interest which he
had partly lost on finding that she was of the theatrical world.
"Oh, I see!" he ejaculated, before stopping to reflect that he had no
right to put into words the idea which jumped into his mind.
"You see?" she echoed. "But how can you see, unless you know something
about me already?"
"I beg your pardon," he apologized. "It was only a thought. I----"
"A thought about my dancing?"
"Not exactly that. About your not dancing again."
"Then please tell me the thought."
"You may be angry. I rather think you'd have a right to be angry--not at
the thought, but the telling of it."
"I promise."
"Why," explained Stephen, "when a young and successful actress makes up
her mind to leave the stage, what is the usual reason?"
"I'm not an actress, so I can't imagine what you mean--unless you
suppose I've made a great fortune in a few months?"
"That too, perhaps--but I don't think a fortune would induce you to
leave the stage yet a while. You'd want to go on, not for the money
perhaps, but for the fun."
"I haven't been dancing for fun."
"Haven't you?"
"No. I began with a purpose. I'm leaving the stage for a purpose. And
you say you can guess what that is. If you know, you must have been
told."
"Since you insist, it occurred to me that you might be going to marry.
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