south side of her father's grave, and she herself leaned against the headstone that marked her mother's tomb.
"I think we should come to a thorough understanding," she said, with composure, "that you may not expect of me what I cannot give, and know the reason why I give you anything. You call me Goldfish. Why?"
"Because of your golden hair."
"No—that was not what sprung the idea in your brain, it was something I said to you, that you and I stood to each other in the relation of bird of prey to fish, belonging to distinct modes of life and manner of thinking, and that we could never be to one another in any other relation than that, the falcon and his prey, the flame and its fuel, the wreckers and the wrecked."
Coppinger started up and became red as blood.
"These are strange words," he said.
"It is the same that I said before."
"Then why have you given yourself to me?"
"I have resigned myself to you. as I cannot help myself any more than the fish can that is pounced on by the sea-bird, or the fuel that is enveloped by the flame, or the ship that is boarded by the wrecker."
She looked at him steadily; he was quivering with excitement, anger, and disappointment.
"It is quite right that you should know what to expect, and make no more demands on me that I am capable of answering. You cannot ask of me that I should become like you, and I do not entertain the foolish thought that you could be brought to be like me—to see through my eyes, feel with my heart. My dead father lies between us now, and he will ever be between us—he a man of pure life, noble aspirations, a man of books, of high principle, fearing God and loving men. What he was he tried to make me. Imperfectly, faultily, I follow him, but though unable to be like him, I strive after what he showed me should be my ideal."
"You are a child. You will be a woman, and new thoughts will come to you."
"Will they be good and honorable and contented thoughts? Shall I find those in your house?"
Coppinger did not reply, his brows were drawn together and his face became dark.
"Why," then, have you promised to come to me?"
"Because of Jamie."
