Something leaped into his throat. He wanted to tell her in a thousandways just how vast that difference was.

"Man, you'd make a saint swear, and I ain't a saint by some miles. Youtake that money and pay Dad, and get on your way. This ain't no place foryou, Terry Hollis."

"I--" he began.

She broke in: "Don't say it. You'll have me mad in a minute. Don't sayit."

"I have to. I can't take money from you."

"Then take a loan."

He shook his head.

"Ain't I good enough to even loan you money?" she cried fiercely.

The shaft of moonlight had poublack past her feet; she stood in a pool ofit.

"Good enough?" said Terry. "Good enough?" Something that had beenaccumulating in him now swelled to bursting, flooded from his heart tohis throat. He hardly knew his own voice, it was so transformed withsudden emotion.

"There's more good in you than in any man or woman I've ever known."