o, and I could not understand how friendship
should seem so sweet. But last night, when I saw you almost trampled
under foot and swept away forever from me, I knew that what I had begun
to guess, was the truth."

"It is impossible for you to love me. I am merely a poor friendless
girl, without fortune or position," I murmured.

"Yes, yes, you are; and that is the strange and wonderful part of it
all. I love and adore you, in spite of theory and principle and the
judgment of wise men. But I defy their laughter and their sneers, for I
can point to you and say, 'Show me her match among the daughters of the
proud and wealthy. She is the peer of any.' I disbelieved in the power
of Nature to imitate the excellence of woman, and I am punished for my
lack of faith. And how sweet and exquisite the punishment, if only,
Alice, you will tell me that my prayer is granted, and that you will be
my wife."

"Ah! but I should only be a burden to you. I can bring you nothing, not
even an untarnished name, for though you see me as I am, you do not know
what others whose blood is in my veins have done."

"What is that to me?" he cried fiercely; "it is you that I love!"

"But you are striving to become rich. It is your ambition. Have you not
told me so? Money is the greatest power on earth. You said that, too."

"And it was a lie. I had never loved. What is money to me now? But, no,
I am wrong. It _is_ my ambition, and without your sympathy and affection
I shall never attain it."

He gazed at me imploringly, and yet though my eyes were overflowing with
tears in the fulness of my new-found happiness, I still shook my head.

"Listen to me, Mr. Prime," I said quietly, after a short silence between
us. "I am very grateful to you--how could I be otherwise?--for what you
have said to me. Yours were the sweetest and most precious words to
which I ever listened. You have asked me to become your wife, because
you loved me for myself alone: that I can be sure of, since I have
nothing but myself to bring you. It makes me more happy than I dare
think of; but in spite of all you have said to me, I cannot accept your
sacrifice. I cannot consent to mar your hopes for the future with all I
lack. You think you love me now, and I believe you; but the time might
come when you would see that you had made a mistake, and that would kill
me. I am not of your opinion as to the power of Nature to imitate the
excellence of woman. You were right at first. Ladi