uch to say that she
continually put off going. At last, when they were standing near the
door, Mavis put her face provokingly near his. He bent, meaning to kiss
her hair, but instead his lips fell on hers.

To his surprise, Mavis covered his mouth with kisses. Windebank's eyes
expressed astonishment, while his arm gripped her form.

"Forgive me; forgive me," she murmured.

"What for?" he gasped.

"I've been a brute, a beast, and you've never once complained."

"Dearest!"

"It's true enough; too true. All your life you've given me love, and
all I've given you are doubts and misunderstandings. But I'll atone,
I'll atone now. I'm yours to do what you will with, whenever you
please, now, here, if you wish it. You needn't marry me; I won't bind
you down; I only ask you to be kind to me for a little, I've suffered
so much."

"You mean--you mean--"

"That you've loved me so long and so much that I can only reward you by
giving you myself."

She opened her arms. He looked at her steadily for a while, till, with
a great effort, he tore himself from her presence and left the room.

The next morning, Mavis received a letter from Windebank.

"My own dearest love," it ran, "don't think me a mug for leaving you
last night as I did, but I love you so dearly that I want to get you
for life and don't wish to run any risk of losing what I treasure most
on earth. I am making arrangements so that we can get married at the
very earliest date, which I believe is three days from now. And then--"

Mavis did not read any more just then.

"When and where you please," she scribbled on the first piece of paper
she could find. Lady Ludlow's words occurred to her as she sent off her
note by special messenger: "A woman is always safe with the man who
loves her."

Three days later, Windebank and Mavis were made man and wife. For all
Windebank's outward impassivity, Mavis noticed that, when he put the
ring on her finger, his hand trembled so violently that he all but
dropped it. Directly the wedding was over, Windebank and Mavis got into
the former's motor, which was waiting outside the church.

"At last!" said Windebank, as he sat beside his wife.

"Where next?" asked Mavis.

"To get Jill and your things and then we'll get away."

"Where to? I hope it's right away, somewhere peaceful in the country."

"We'll go on till you come to a place you like."

They went west. They had lunched in high spirits at a wayside inn,
which too