"You!" she murmured, with a little catch in her voice, her hand going to

her heart unconsciously.

"Yes," said Derrick, unsteadily. "Didn't he tell you?"

She shook her head.

"You mean Reggie Rex? No--he asked me to come here, and I thought it was

to meet him. I--I am rather startled."

She sank on to the bank, looking straight before her, and, still

bare-headed, Derrick stood beside her, speechless. If he had ever had

any doubt of the completeness, the intensity of his love for her, that

doubt would have been dispelled at that moment. The desire to take her

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in his arms, to crush her to him, was almost overwhelming; but he

remembered that, though he had been loving her all these months, had

been thinking of her so constantly that it seemed as if they had been in

actual communication, she did not know this. He must go gently with this

beautiful creature; he must not frighten her by word or look.

"I'm sorry he didn't tell you; I'm sorry you were so startled," he said,

very softly, very gently. "I thought he would have done so."

"I am ashamed," she said, blushing, and forcing a smile to her lips,

which were not yet quite steady. "It is very foolish of me; for--for why

should I be startled, why should you not be here, anywhere?"

She made as if to rise; but he put out his hand, as if to stay her, and

she sank down again.

"Well, there are reasons why I should not come back, as you know," he

began; but she looked up quickly and broke in.

"Oh, no, there are not! Don't you know, have they not told you? You have

no cause now for--for concealment."

"I've heard nothing," he said. "I have only just returned from abroad.

Will you tell me what you mean?"

With a barely-suppressed eagerness, and an unconcealed gladness, she

told him of the appearance of the old gentleman a few minutes after

Derrick's flight, and gave him the lawyer's message.

Derrick nodded once or twice. "If I'd only known that!" he said in a low

voice, "I should have come back at once; come back to tell you what I

want to tell you now, to thank you. Oh, but that's absurd! Of course, I

can't thank you. You know what you did for me, and you must know that I

can't express my gratitude."

"Don't say any more," said Celia almost inaudibly. "I am glad that it is

all right now: that you have no cause to fear--and that you've come back

to England."




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