"Sure and certain," he responded, with a long sigh. "If I were as sure

of your love as I am of mine for you--Forgive me, dearest!" for she had

raised her eyes to his with an earnestness that was almost solemn.

"You may be sure," she said, slowly. "I shall love you as long as I

live. I know it! I do not know why. I only--feel it. Perhaps we may be

parted--"

He laughed--but his hand closed on hers, and gripped them tightly.

--"But I shall always love you. Something has gone out of me--is it my

heart?--and I can never take it back from you. Perhaps you may grow

tired of me--it may be. I have read and heard of such things happening

Advertisement..

to women--you may see someone more beautiful than Miss Falconer,

someone who will lead you to forget the little girl who rode through

the rain in Herondale. If so, there will be no need to tell me; no need

to make excuses, or ask for forgiveness. There would be no need to tell

me, for something here"--she drew her hand from his and touched her

bosom--"would tell me. You would only have to keep away from me--that

is all. And I--ah well I should be silent, quite silent."

"Dearest!" he murmured, reproachfully, and with something like awe, for

her brows were knit, her face was pale as ivory, and her eyes glowed.

"Why do you say this now, just as--as we have confessed our love for

each other? Do you think I shall be faithless? I could almost laugh! As

if any man you deigned to love could ever forget you, ever care a straw

for any other woman!"

She turned to him with a shudder, a little cry that was tragic in its

intensity, turned to him and clenched her small hands on his breast.

"Swear to me!" she panted; then, as if ashamed of the passion that

racked her, her eyes dropped and the swift red flooded her face. "No!

you shall not swear to me, Stafford. I--I will believe you love me as I

shall love you forever and forever! But if--if the time should come

when some other girl shall win you from me, promise me that you will

not tell me, that you will just keep away from me! I could bear it

if--if I did not see you; but if I saw you--Oh!"--something like a moan

escaped her quivering lips, and she flung herself upon his breast with

the _abandon_, the unself-consciousness of a child.




Most Popular