'What do you mean?' asked the girl, with a sudden start.
Vandeloup arose from his seat, and lighting another cigarette he
lounged over to the fireplace, and leaned against the mantelpiece
with his hands in his pockets.
'I mean that when we are married it will be time enough to talk
about such things,' he answered, looking at her through his
eyelashes.
'Then we will talk about them very shortly,' said Kitty, with an
angry laugh, as her hands clenched the arms of the chair tightly;
'for the year is nearly up, and you promised to marry me at the end
of it.'
'How many things do we intend to do that are never carried out?'
said Gaston, gently. 'Do you mean that you will break your promise?'
she asked, with a scared face.
Vandeloup removed the cigarette from his mouth, and, leaning one
elbow on the mantelpiece, looked at her with a smile.
'My dear,' he said, quietly, 'things are not going well with me at
present, and I want money badly.'
'Well?' asked Kitty in a whisper, her heart beating loudly.
'You are not rich,' said her lover, 'so why should we two paupers
get married, only to plunge ourselves into misery?'
'Then you refuse to marry me?' she said, rising to her feet.
He bowed his head gently.
'At present, yes,' he answered, and replaced the cigarette between
his lips.
Kitty stood for a moment as if turned to stone, and then throwing up
her hands with a gesture of despair, fell back into the chair, and
burst into a flood of tears.
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