e you alone with him? It's madness!" and as Lady Beltham merely
looked at him in haughty surprise, he began to withdraw in confusion,
but still protesting. "It's--it's---- Your ladyship has no idea what
this fellow wants: do please----"

But Lady Beltham curtly cut him short.

"That is enough!"

A heavy velvet curtain fell over the closing door, and in the room, that
was dimly lighted by a small electric lamp, Lady Beltham was alone with
the strange individual to whom she had so readily, so oddly, consented
to accord a private interview. She followed her servants to the door and
locked it after them. Then with a sudden movement she sprang towards the
man, who was standing motionless in the middle of the room following
her with his eyes, and flung herself into his arms.

"Oh, Gurn, my darling, my darling!" she cried. "I love you! I love you,
darling!" She looked up at him and saw blood upon his forehead. "Good
God! The brutes have hurt you! What pain you must be in! Give me your
eyes, your lips!" With kisses from her own lips she stanched the blood
that was trickling down his cheeks, and with her fingers she smoothed
his hair. "I am so happy!" she murmured, and broke off again. "But you
are mad! Why, why come here like this, and let yourself be caught and
tortured so?"

Moodily Gurn answered, returning kiss for kiss.

"Time has been so long without you! And this evening I was prowling
round and saw a light. I thought that every one would be asleep--except
you, of course. And so I came straight to you, over walls, and
gates--drawn to you like a moth to a candle: and that is all!"

With shining eyes and heaving breast Lady Beltham clung to her lover.

"I love you so! How brave you are! Yes, I am wholly, only yours. But
this is madness! You might be arrested and given up to no one knows what
horror, without my knowing!"

Gurn seemed to be hypnotised by the fierce and passionate love of this
great lady.

"I never gave that a thought," he murmured. "I only thought of you!"

Silence fell upon these tragic lovers as they stood reading love in one
another's eyes, and recalling memories common to both, utterly unlike as
they were to outward seeming, yet linked by the strongest bond of all,
the bond of love.

"What happy hours we lived together out there!" Lady Beltham whispered.
Her thoughts had wandered to the far Transvaal and the battle-field
where first she had set eyes on Gurn, the sergeant of artillery with
p