were Emily Ffrench, I certainly forgot
everything else."

She looked up at him, her softly tinted face bright as his own, her
yellow hair rumpled into flossy tendrils under the black velvet
ribbon binding it.

"Everything else?" she echoed. "Is there anything else but this?"

"Nothing that counts, to me. You for my own, and this good world to
live in--I stand bareheaded before it all. But yet, I told you once
that I had a purpose to accomplish; a purpose now very near
completion. In a few months I meant to leave Ffrenchwood."

Emily gave a faint cry.

"Yes, for my work would have been done. Then I fell in love and upset
everything. When I tell Mr. Ffrench that I want you, I will have to
leave at once."

"Why? You said--"

"How brave are you, Emily?" he asked. "I said your uncle could not
question my name or birth, but I did not say he would want to give you
to me. Nor will he; unless I am mistaken. Are you going to be brave
enough to come to me, knowing he has no right to complain, since you
and I together have given him Dick?"

"He does not know you; how can you tell he does not like you?" she
urged.

"Do you think he likes 'Darling' Lestrange of the race course?"

The sudden keen demand disconcerted her.

"I hear a little down there," he added. "I have not been fortunate
with your kinsman. No, it is for you to say whether Ethan Ffrench's
unjust caprice is a bar between us. To me it is none."

"I thought there was to be no more trouble," she faltered,
distressed.

Lestrange looked down at her steadily, his gray eyes darkening to an
expression she had never seen.

"Have I no right?" was his question. "Is there no cancelling of a
claim, is there no subsequent freedom? Is it all no use, Emily?"

Vaguely awed and frightened, her fingers tightened on his arm in a
panic of surrender.

"I will come to you, I will come! You know best what is right--I trust
you to tell me. Forgive me, dear, I wanted to--"

He silenced her, all the light flashing back to his face.

"A promise; hush! Oh, I shall win to-night with that singing in my
ears. I have more to say to you, but not now. I must see Bailey,
somehow, before I go."

"He is at the house; let me send him here to you."

"If you come back with him."

They laughed together.

"I will--Do you know," her color deepened rosily, "they all call you
'Darling'; I have never heard your own name."

"My name is David," Lestrange said quietly, and kissed her fo