"You know I love you," he said in a whisper. "From the first moment--no,

let me be truthful, not from the first moment: you remember how angry I

was with you; how I resented your dear presence, your interference?--but

soon, very soon afterwards, you stole into my heart. And you have been

there ever since. Oh, Celia!--think of it! I knew your name only a few

hours ago--you are all the world to me, my saviour, my guardian angel. I

can't live without you. I want you, dearest; I want you every hour,

every moment. Oh, I know I'm a poor lot, of no account, a man with a

stain still on his name, but I've got to tell you that I love you. I've

thought of this hour of our meeting a hundred, a thousand times, in all

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sorts of places, in all sorts of circumstances. And now it has come!

Celia, I love you, dear, I love you! Speak to me, dear! Oh, I know I'm

not worthy of a single thought, a single breath of yours; but let my

love plead for me, and--speak to me, Celia!"

She sat enthralled by that magic which has been omnipotent since this

weary world of ours began, and will be till it ends. It was easy enough

for him to say "speak," but ah, how difficult it was for her to obey,

when her heart was too full for words! Instead of speech, she turned her

face to him; and laid her hand on his, which held hers nearest to him.

There was a thrill of a passionate love in that gentle touch; and

Derrick's heart flamed up. He caught her in his arms, and their lips

joined in that first ecstatic interchange of soul and heart. Presently,

she lay on his breast, her face still upturned to his kisses, her eyes

meeting his with the fullness, the fearlessness of a girl's first and

perfect love.

Silence reigned in the little wood; a squirrel, which had been watching

them from a distance, leapt noiselessly from a branch and stood and

surveyed them with piquant interest; the good god Pan hovered about them

and murmured his blessings on their mortal love. So long lasted the

silence--the ecstatic silence which, indeed, is golden--that time lost

its significance and they were caught up into the heaven of eternity.

At last, with a sigh, Celia came back to earth: that earth which his

love had turned to a veritable Paradise.

"I must go," she whispered.

"Must you, dearest--Celia?" he asked, with all a lover's reluctance.




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