g as though the heat of
the day were rising to give welcome and fuse itself in the night.

He was alone with the bird who throbbed from the copse, and as he sat in
the sublime stillness he fancied he saw some does peep forth. They were
there, of course, with their new-born fawns.

But where was she, the nymph of the night?

His heart ached, the longing grew intense until it was a mighty force.
He felt he could stride across the luminous park which separated them,
and scale the wall to the casement window of the long gallery, to clasp
her once more in his arms. And, as it is with all those beings who have
scorned and denied his power, Love was punishing him now by a complete
annihilation of his will. At last he buried his face in his hands; it
was almost agony that he felt.

When he uncovered his eyes again he saw, far in the distance, a filmy
shadow. It seemed to be now real, and now a wraith, as it flitted from
tree to tree, but at last he knew it was real--it was she--Halcyone! He
started to his feet, and there stood waiting for her.

She came with the gliding movement he now knew belonged in her dual
personality to the night.

Her hair was all unbound, and her garment was white.

All reason, all resolution left him. He held out his arms.

"My love!" he cried. "I have waited for you--ah, so long!"

And Halcyone allowed herself to be clasped next his heart, and then
drawn to the bench, where they sat down, blissfully content.

They had such a number of things to tell one another about love. He who
had always scoffed at its existence was now eloquent in his explanation
of the mystery. And Halcyone, who had never had any doubts, put her
beautiful thoughts into words. Love meant everything--it was just he,
John Derringham. She was no more herself, but had come to dwell in him.

She was tender and absolutely pure in her broad loyalty, concealing
nothing of her fondness, letting him see that if she were Mistress of
the Night, he was Master of her Soul.

And the complete subservience of herself, the sublime transparency
without subterfuge of her surrender, appealed to everything of chivalry
which his nature held.

"Since the beginning," she whispered, in that soft, sweet voice of hers
which seemed to him to be of the angels, "ever since the beginning,
John, when I was a little ignorant girl, it has always been you. You
were Jason and Theseus and Perseus. You were Sir Bors and Sir Percival
and Sir Lancelot. And