"If you were--"

"What then?" she asked, with a smile, as he paused.

"I should either kill myself or you," he replied, "perhaps both. Do not
make me say such terrible things. It could not be. The sun may fall
from the heavens, the sea rolling there may become dry land.
Nature--everything may prove false, but not you, the noblest, the
truest of women. Say 'I love you, Hugh,' and let those be your last
words to me. They will go with me over the wide ocean, and be my rest
and stay."

"I love you, Hugh," she said, as he wished her.

Something like a deep, bitter sob came from his white lips. Death
itself would have been far easier than leaving her. He raised her
beautiful face to his--his tears and kisses seemed to burn it--and then
he was gone.

Gone! The romance of the past few weeks, the engrossing interest, all
suddenly collapsed. Tomorrow the old monotonous life must begin again,
without flattery, praise, or love. He had gone; the whole romance was
ended; nothing of it remained save the memory of his love and the ring
upon her finger.

At first there fell upon Beatrice a dreadful blank. The monotony, the
quiet, the simple occupations, were more unendurable than ever; but in
a few days that feeling wore off, and then she began to wonder at what
she had done. The glamour fell from before her eyes; the novelty and
excitement, the romance of the stolen meetings, the pleasant homage of
love and worship no longer blinded her. Ah, and before Hugh Fernely
had been many days and nights upon the wide ocean, she ended by growing
rather ashamed of the matter, and trying to think of it as little as
she could! Once she half tried to tell Lillian; but the look of horror
on the sweet, pure face startled her, and she turned the subject by
some merry jest.

Then there came a letter from Mrs. Vyvian announcing her return. The
girls were warmly attached to the lady, who had certainly devoted the
ten best years of her life to them. She brought with her many
novelties, new books, new music, amusing intelligence from the outer
world. For some days there was no lack of excitement and amusement;
then all fell again into the old routine.

Mrs. Vyvian saw a great change in Beatrice. Some of the old
impetuosity had died away; she was as brilliant as ever, full of life
and gayety, but in some way there was an indescribable change. At
times a strange calm would come over the beautiful face, a far-off,
dreamy expression st