babies' eyes. And hers look as theirs do--as if they asked everybody not
to hurt them."

He actually fell upon his knee, and bending his head over her hand,
kissed it half a dozen times with adoration. Good Lord, how she SAW and
KNEW!

"If Jane were not Jane, and you were not YOU," the words rushed from
him, "it would be the most outrageous--the most impudent thing a man
ever had the cheek to do."

"But it is not." She did not draw her hand away, and oh, the girlish
kindness of her smiling, supporting look. "You came to ask me if----"

"If you would marry me, Miss Vanderpoel," his head bending over her hand
again. "I beg your pardon, I beg your pardon. Oh Lord, I do.'

"I thank you for the compliment you pay me," she answered. "I like you
very much, Sir Thomas--and I like you just now more than ever--but I
could not marry you. I should not make you happy, and I should not be
happy myself. The truth is----" thinking a moment, "each of us really
belongs to a different kind of person. And each of knows the fact."

"God bless you," he said. "I think you know everything in the world a
woman can know--and remain an angel."

It was an outburst of eloquence, and she took it in the prettiest
way--with the prettiest laugh, which had in it no touch of mockery or
disbelief in him.

"What I have said is quite final--if Lady Alanby should inquire," she
said--adding rather quickly, "Someone is coming."

It pleased her to see that he did not hurry to his feet clumsily, but
even stood upright, with a shade of boyish dignity, and did not release
her hand before he had bent his head low over it again.

Sir Nigel was bringing with him Lady Alanby, Mrs. Manners, and his wife,
and when Betty met his eyes, she knew at once that he had not made his
way to this particular garden without intention. He had discovered that
she was with Tommy, and it had entertained him to break in upon them.

"I did not intend to interrupt Sir Thomas at his devotions," he remarked
to her after dinner. "Accept my apologies."

"It did not matter in the least, thank you," said Betty.

. . . . .

"I am glad to be able to say, Thomas, that you did not look an entire
fool when you got up from your knees, as we came into the rose garden."
Thus Lady Alanby, as their carriage turned out of Stornham village.

"I'm glad myself," Tommy answered.

"What were you doing there? Even if you were asking her to marry you, it
was not necessary to go that far. We ar