ess, and he could
have sworn to the roguish gleam, "in that case, since you are willing to
consider my offer, let me make a few remarks. In the first place, you
needn't sneer at adventure when you are living it yourself; and you were
certainly living it when I found you first, down with fever on a lonely
plantation with a couple of hundred wild cannibals thirsting for your
life. Then I came along--"

"And what with your arriving in a gale," he broke in, "fresh from the
wreck of the schooner, landing on the beach in a whale-boat full of
picturesque Tahitian sailors, and coming into the bungalow with a Baden-
Powell on your head, sea-boots on your feet, and a whacking big Colt's
dangling on your hip--why, I am only too ready to admit that you were the
quintessence of adventure."

"Very good," she cried exultantly. "It's mere simple arithmetic--the
adding of your adventure and my adventure together. So that's settled,
and you needn't jeer at adventure any more. Next, I don't think there
was anything romantic in Tudor's attempting to kiss me, nor anything like
adventure in this absurd duel. But I do think, now, that it was romantic
for you to fall in love with me. And finally, and it is adding romance
to romance, I think . . . I think I do love you, Dave--oh, Dave!"

The last was a sighing dove-cry as he caught her up in his arms and
pressed her to him.

"But I don't love you because you played the fool to-day," she whispered
on his shoulder. "White men shouldn't go around killing each other."

"Then why do you love me?" he questioned, enthralled after the manner of
all lovers in the everlasting query that for ever has remained
unanswered.

"I don't know--just because I do, I guess. And that's all the
satisfaction you gave me when we had that man-talk. But I have been
loving you for weeks--during all the time you have been so deliciously
and unobtrusively jealous of Tudor."

"Yes, yes, go on," he urged breathlessly, when she paused.

"I wondered when you'd break out, and because you didn't I loved you all
the more. You were like Dad, and Von. You could hold yourself in check.
You didn't make a fool of yourself."

"Not until to-day," he suggested.

"Yes, and I loved you for that, too. It was about time. I began to
think you were never going to bring up the subject again. And now that I
have offered myself you haven't even accepted."

With both hands on her shoulders he held her at arm's-length fro