there's only
one head in this world like yours, so this, of course, must be you."

Kate's heart leaped and stood still. She turned slowly, then held out
her hand, smiling at John Jardine, but saying not a word. He took her
hand, and as he gripped it tightly he studied her frankly.

"Thank God for this!" he said, fervently. "For years I've dreamed of
you and hungered for the sight of your face; but you cut me off
squarely, so I dared not intrude on you--only the Lord knows how
delighted I am to see you here, looking like this."

Kate smiled again.

"Come away," he begged. "Come out of this. Come walk a little way
with me, and tell me WHO you are, and HOW you are, and all the things I
think of every day of my life, and now I must know. It's brigandage!
Come, or I shall carry you!"

"Pooh! You couldn't!" laughed Kate. "Of course I'll come! And I
don't own a secret. Ask anything you want to know. How good it is to
see you! Your mother--?"

"At rest, years ago," he said. "She never forgave me for what I did,
in the way I did it. She said it would bring disaster, and she was
right. I thought it was not fair and honest not to let you know the
worst. I thought I was too old, and too busy, and too flourishing, to
repair neglected years at that date, but believe me, Kate, you waked me
up. Try the hardest one you know, and if I can't spell it, I'll pay a
thousand to your pet charity."

Kate laughed spontaneously. "Are you in earnest?" she asked.

"I am incomprehensibly, immeasurably in earnest," he said, guiding her
down a narrow path to a shrub-enclosed, railed-in platform, built on
the steep side of a high hill, where they faced the moon-whitened
waves, rolling softly in a dancing procession across the face of the
great inland sea. Here he found a seat.

"I've nothing to tell," he said. "I lost Mother, so I went on without
her. I learned to spell, and a great many other things, and I'm still
making money. I never forget you for a day; I never have loved and
never shall love any other woman. That's all about me, in a nutshell;
now go on and tell me a volume, tell me all night, about you. Heavens,
woman, I wish you could see yourself, in that dress with the moon on
your hair. Kate, you are the superbest thing! I always shall be mad
about you. Oh, if only you could have had a little patience with me.
I thought I COULDN'T learn, but of course I COULD. But, proceed! I
mustn't let myself go."