called a thief; when, one day, she suffered the first great shame of her
life in the mountains of Auvergne; and the night when she waked a second
time to her love for Gaston. She dared to call it love, though good
Annette had called it a mortal sin.

What was to be done? The other woman must suffer.

The man was hers--hers for ever. He had said it: for ever. Yet her
heart had a wild hunger for that something which this girl had and she
had not. But the man was hers; she had won him away from this other.

Delia came upon the quay bravely, passing through the crowd of staring
fishermen, who presently gave Gaston a guttural cheer. Three of them,
indeed, had been drinking his health. They embraced him and kissed him,
begging him to come with them for absinthe. He arranged the matter with
a couple of francs.

Then he wondered what now was to be done. He could not insult the
Gasgoynes by asking them to come to the chateau. He proposed the Hotel
de France to Mr. Gasgoyne, who assented. It was difficult to separate
here on the quay: they must all walk together to the hotel. Gaston
turned to speak to Andree, but she was gone. She had saved the
situation.

The three spoke little, and then but formally, as they walked to the
hotel. Mr. Gasgoyne said that they would leave by train for Paris the
next day, going to Douarnenez that evening. They had saved nothing from
the yacht.

Delia did not speak. She was pale, composed now. In the hotel Mr.