she might not see him again. She dare not think of that,
it was terrible.

He turned round quickly and came to her, taking both her hands.
Looking into her eyes he could not fail to see the light in them; it
dazzled but did not blind; it opened his to what was hidden behind the
electric flashes in hers. For a few moments there was silence. Then
he said:

"I am come to say goodbye, Eve, my old playmate, my best friend."

His voice was well under control, no tremor, but it vibrated and played
on her heart-strings. She was agitated; she had been counting on this
parting, thinking what might happen, re-changing many things.

"We leave to-morrow, or the next day. I go to London to-night. I
cannot tell you our destination, but I can guess it."

Still she did not speak, and he went on:

"We shall give a good account of ourselves, the Sherwoods. Many of us
will not return, but something tells me I shall come through it all and
live."

"How I shall miss you!" she said. "It will be in fear and trembling I
open the paper each morning and scan the lists. But you are doing
right; no man can hang back at such a moment. You are glad to be in
uniform again?"

"Indeed I am. I feel as though I had never been out of it," he
answered.

"You look splendid," she said.

"This morning you are at your best," he replied.

"You were coming to see me, I wanted you to carry away a good
impression," she said, smiling.

"I shall often think of you, Eve, and your many gracious actions. By
Jove, you are a brick--there's nobody like you," he said
enthusiastically.

She was pleased and showed it.

"Have you forgotten our last conversation?" he asked. "It was
perilously near the danger zone."

"Why call it a danger zone?" she asked.

"Eve, you don't mean it?" he asked.

"Mean what?"

"Oh, you know. By Jove, I'll risk it, although I can't imagine such
good fortune falling to my lot."

"What are you going to risk?" she asked, strangely agitated.

"Asking you to be my wife--there it's out--must I go?" he said.

"Do you wish to go?" she asked archly.

"No; there."

He almost lifted her off her feet as he took her to him and kissed her
many times. She clung to him, her arms round his neck, her head
resting on his breast; she seemed loath to let him go.

"Alan, oh Alan, it seems too good to be true! I thought you were never
going to ask me. I am afraid I have schemed for this. Forgive me, I
could not live with