silent, and I saw
those statues gleaming through the trees, and they looked so beautiful
that I came nearer. I meant to come only for a moment and then go away
again--but--I--stayed----"

But he could scarcely hear what she said; he only saw her standing
there with her dress trembling a little in the breeze.

"Mary," he said, "you did not mean what you told me the other day?"

She looked at him for a moment and then suddenly flung out her hands
and touched his coat. "No," she answered.

For a moment they were utterly silent. Then he took her into his arms.

"I love you! How I love you!"

Her hair was about his face, for a moment her face was buried in his
coat, then she lifted it and their lips met.

He shook from head to foot, he crushed her to him, then he released her.

She glanced up at him with her hand still touching his coat and looked
into his eyes.

"I will love you and serve you and honour you always," she said. She
took his arm and they passed down the lawn and watched the light
breaking over the sea. The sky was broken into thousands of fleecy
clouds of mother-of-pearl--the sea was trembling as though the sun had
whispered that it was near at hand, and, on the horizon, the first bars
of pale gold heralded its coming.

"I have loved you," he said, "since the first moment that I saw you--I
gave you tea and muffins; I deserted the Miss Ponsonbys in order to
serve you."

"And I too!" she answered, laughing. "I could not eat the muffin for
love of you, and I was jealous of the Miss Ponsonbys!"

"Why did you turn me out the other day?"

"They had been talking--mother and the others; and I was hurt terribly,
and I thought that you would hear what they had said and would think,
perhaps, that it was true and would despise me. And then after you had
gone, I knew that nothing in the world could make any difference--that
they could say what they pleased, but that I could not live without
you--you see I am very young!"

"Oh, and I am so old, dear! You mustn't forget that! Do you think
that you could ever put up with any one as old as I am?"

She laughed. "You are just the same age as myself," she cried. "You
will always be the same age, and I am not sure but I think that you are
younger----"

And suddenly the sun had risen--a great ball of fire changing all the
blue of the sky to red and gold, and they watched as the gods had
watched the flaming ruin of Valhalla.

But the daylight drove