me upon the leather seat of the settle. "At least not friends
only. I suppose, Miss Temple, that you will be very much surprised, when
I tell you that I have never thought of you in that way. I have always
dreamed, all my life, of a woman like you, who would be close beside me,
and share all my hopes and dreams, and be the cause of them all as well,
and be glad of my successes and not think the less of me because of my
failures. But a woman to be all that must be more than a man's friend,
Miss Temple--she must be his wife."

The color flooded her cheeks as I said this, but she did not draw away
her hand. "A woman would have to be very greatly loved by a man, and
love him very greatly in return, to be all that to him," she said.

"I can only speak for myself, Miss Temple--Muriel. I love you very
greatly, so much indeed, that I am telling you of it now--when I have
the opportunity--instead of waiting, as no doubt you think I should.
But, were I to wait, I do not know what trick of fate might intervene to
prevent me. Your father might suddenly be seized with the idea of going
to India, or Japan, or somewhere else, and I should be unable to tell
you what has been singing in my heart ever since the first moment I saw
you. We have passed through much trouble, you and I, and that has
brought us closer to each other than years of formal acquaintanceship
might ever have done. I want you--I need you--I love you, and I shall
always love you." I drew her to me, unresisting. "Do you love me, dear?"
I said, and, when she put her arms about my neck and her head upon my
breast I knew what her answer was, and that I had found my heart's
desire.

It must have been half an hour later when Major Temple burst into the
library, in a great state of excitement. We heard him coming along the
hall, and I had made up my mind to ask his consent to our marriage as
soon as he came in. I failed to do so, because he seemed much excited,
and asked us at once if we had seen anything of Boris, his favorite
mastiff. He had missed the dog that morning, before setting out for
Exeter he said, but his mind was so troubled by the prospect of the
hearing, and his daughter's arrest, that he gave the matter but scant
thought. He had suddenly realized, a few moments ago, while writing some
letters in his study, that the dog was not in his favorite place upon
the hearthrug and that in fact he had not seen him since his return from
Exeter. He made inquiries at onc