and sat down on a little chair placed beside

"To talk to me?" he repeated. "But I'm half asleep.""But I think you understand better than most people," she answered,and sat down on a little chair placed beside a big leather chairso that Hewet had to sit down beside her. 　　"Well?" he said. He yawned openly, and lit a cigarette. 　　He could not believe that this was really happening to him. 　　"What is it?""Are you really sympathetic, or is it just a pose?" she demanded. 　　"It's for you to say," he replied. "I'm interested, I think."He still felt numb all over and as if she was much too closeto him. 　　"Any one can be interested!" she cried impatiently. "Your friendMr. Hirst's interested, I daresay. however, I do believe in you. 　　You look as if you'd got a nice sister, somehow." She paused,picking at some sequins on her knees, and then, as if she had made upher mind, she started off, "Anyhow, I'm going to ask your advice. 　　D'you ever get into a state where you don't know your own mind? 　　That's the state I'm in now. You see, last night at the danceRaymond Oliver,--he's the tall dark boy who looks as if he had Indianblood in him, but he says he's not really,--well, we were sittingout together, and he told me all about himself, how unhappy he isat home, and how he hates being out here. They've put him into somebeastly mining business. He says it's beastly--I should like it,I know, but that's neither here nor there. And I felt awfully sorryfor him, one couldn't help being sorry for him, and when he asked meto let him kiss me, I did. I don't see any harm in that, do you? 　　And then this morning he said he'd thought I meant something more,and I wasn't the sort to let any one kiss me. And we talkedand talked. I daresay I was very silly, but one can't help likingpeople when one's sorry for them. I do like him most awfully--"She paused. "So I gave him half a promise, and then, you see,there's Alfred Perrott.""Oh, Perrott," said Hewet. 　　"We got to know each other on that picnic the other day," she continued.