Olga's fingers tightened in his hold. "Oh, did you know he was there?"
she said.

Briefly he made answer. "Yes, he tripped me. I believe he was half-drunk
with opium or something. What happened? Was he killed?"

Noel's voice was imperious. She answered him instantly, seeing he
demanded it.

"Yes."

Noel drew a deep breath. "Thank God for that!" he said. "Then you are
free'"

Olga was silent.

"You are free?" he repeated, with quick interrogation.

Yet an instant longer she hesitated. Then she leaned her head against
his pillow with a little sob. "No,--I'm not free, Noel. I--have given
myself--to you!"

"Because I'm blind!" he said.

"No, dear, no! Once free--I should have come to you--in any case."

"Would you?" he said. "Would you? You're quite sure? You're not saying
it out of pity? I won't have you marry me out of pity, Olga. I couldn't
stand it."

"Oh, you needn't be afraid of that!" she said. Then a moment later,
"When I marry you," she murmured softly, "it will be--for love."

There was no mistaking the sincerity of the words, though even then as
it were in spite of himself he knew that the passionate adoration he had
poured out to her had awakened no answering rapture in her heart. The
very fashion of her surrender told him this. He might come first with
her indeed, but the full gift was no longer hers to offer.

"I wonder if you will be happy with me," he said, after a moment.

"It is my only chance of happiness," she made answer.

"How do you know?" There was curiosity in his voice: he made a movement
of impatient impotence, putting a hand that trembled up to his bandaged
head.

She took the hand, and drew it softly down. "I will tell you how I
know," she said. "I know because when I thought you were killed I
felt--I felt as if the world had stopped. And since then--since I knew
that you would live--I have been able to think of only you--only you."
Her voice broke upon a sound of tears. "That awful fear for you opened
my eyes," she whispered. "I haven't been able to think of Major
Hunt-Goring's death or anything else at all. I've even deserted Nick."
Valiantly, through her tears, she smiled. "I never did such a thing as
that before for anyone."

He clasped her hands tightly as he lay. "Don't cry, sweetheart!" he
whispered. "You're not crying--for me?"

"I can't help it," she whispered back. "I can't bear to think of you
suffering,--you, Noel, you!"

"Don't cry!" he said again, and this