cruel, Julie; you're killing me! You _must_ say
'Yes' before I go. We'll meet in Havre, I know; but that will be so
different. I must have my answer now. Oh, my darling, please, please,
speak! You love me, Julie, don't you?"

"Peter," said Julie slowly, "I love you so much that I hardly dare speak,
lest my love should carry me away. But listen, my dear, listen. Peter,
I've watched you these days; I've watched you in France. I've watched you
from the moment when I called you over to me because I was interested
and felt my fate, I suppose. I've watched you struggling along, Peter,
and I understand why you've struggled. You're built for great things, my
dear--how great I can't see and I can't even understand. No, Peter, I
can't even understand--that's part of the tragedy of it. Peter, I love
you so that my love for you _is_ my centre, it's my all in all, it's my
hope of salvation, Peter. Do you hear, my darling?--my love, it's my one
hope! If I can't keep that pure and clean, Peter, I ruin both of us. I
love you so, Peter, that I won't marry you!"

He gave a little cry, but swiftly she put a hand over his mouth. She
smiled at him as she did so, a daring little smile. "Be quiet, you
Solomon, you," she said; "I haven't finished. There! Now listen again,
Peter: you can't help it, but you can't love me as I love you. I see it.
I--I hate it, I think; but I know it, and there's an end. You, my dear,
you _would put me_ in the centre, but you can't. I can't put _you_ out of
_my_ centre, Peter. You _would_ give up God for me, Peter, but you can't,
or if you did, you'd lose us both. But I, Peter--oh, my darling, I have
no god but you. And that's why I'll worship you, Peter, and sacrifice to
you, Peter, sacrifice to your only ultimate happiness, Peter, and
sacrifice my all."

He tried to speak, but he could not. The past days lay before him in a
clear light at last. Her love shone on them, and shone too plainly for
mistake. He tried to deny, but he couldn't; contradict, but his heart
cried the truth, and his eyes could not hide it. But he could and did
vent his passion. "Damn God! Curse Him!" he cried. "I hate Him! Why
should He master me? I want you, Julie; I will have you; I will worship
_you_, Julie!"

She let him speak; and, being Julie, his words only brought a more tender
light into her face. "Peter," she said, "one minute. Do you remember
where you first kissed me, my darling?--the first real kiss, I mean," and
her eyes s