opening his arms, in a
voice that shook perceptibly, said, "Rose!"

She gazed a moment, then with a joyous cry of "O, Jack!" sprang into the
outstretched arms, and for the first time in their lives their lips met.

There were tears in Jack's eyes; the tears were raining down Rose's face,
and both were shaking as with a burning ague. Browning sank upon a sofa,
still clasping the fair girl in his strong arms, and seating her beside
him.

"O, Rose," he said, "I have dreamed of this meeting ever since I left
you, by sea and land, under the sunshine, in the deep mine's depths, by
day and night. I love you, I do not know when I did not love you; I have
come for you, will you be my wife?"

Then Rose said: "You went away without a good-bye or any message. You
never wrote. You have been gone more than four years." But with a smile
which was enchantment to Jack, she added: "If I could have found any one
to marry me, I would have shown you, but no one would, because when I was
young I kept such bad company."

Then how they did talk! Jack repeated all the old inaccuracies which
lovers have called up since the Stone Age, the burden of which was that
the memory of her face had been his light in the darkest mine; the memory
of her voice had been the music for which his soul had been listening for
years.

And Rose told the enraptured young man how hard her lot had been to
conceal a love which she had no right to own, because it had never
been asked; how hard it had been for her to simulate contentment and
cheerfulness, but after all how it had been her comfort and support,
because she had never doubted that he would come back.

Then Jack, between kisses, told his charmer that he had worked every day
for years; that he had gathered up quite a many good pounds; that if she
would be his wife, if nothing could be done in England, they would bid
England good-bye and make their home beyond the sea. And she consented,
adding: "If you have to run away again, see that you do not go alone. You
were always so wild that from the first you have needed some careful
person to look after you."

An hour later, Grace came, unlocked the door, and found the happy pair
arm-in-arm walking up and down the room. Going up to them, and looking
into their faces, she said:

"Why, Rose, you have been crying; what is wrong, dear?"

"Nothing is wrong," she answered, "nothing is wrong, and I have not
been crying; have I, Jack? But, Grace, was it fair to