Blake had
confessed to him? She--_she_ had bought Dandy to give to him? He must
find words to thank her, but how could he without betraying all?

Such silence could not last. Even in the thrilling instant of an avowal
the woman does not live who so far forgets herself as to be insensible
to the gaze of lookers-on. Totally ignorant of the extent of his
knowledge, since she had charged Blake that it was all to be kept a
profound secret; thinking only of the necessity of breaking that
treacherous, betraying silence, she summoned her courage, and, looking
up one instant, she made some laughing allusion to the fact that Mrs.
Turner would never forgive him if he left without dancing with her; and,
indeed, he _must_ dance with Miss Whaling, since he had dined there that
evening.

"I will try. I will do anything you ask or suggest; only, Miss Marion,
we march at eight to-morrow morning. Come with me to the gallery one
minute. I _must_ speak to you."

So after all she had only precipitated matters. He had ceased waltzing
directly opposite one of the open doors, and, without waiting for reply,
with the quick decision that so marked him at times, he led her,
speechless, from the room, snatching up a cavalry cape from a chair, and
this, as they stepped out on the low wooden piazza, he threw over her
shoulders. Several other couples were promenading slowly up and down, or
gazing in at the dancers. He led her rapidly past all these until they
came to the end of the platform, and there, with the moonlight shining
full on his eager features, Ray turned and faced his fate. She knew he
was trembling; she knew his voice was low and broken and husky. His
words had been hardly audible to her in the hop-room, but his emotion
any woman could see. Oh, how white and cold and still the distant
mountains shone in the pallid light! Oh, how silent, peaceful, deserted,
the far-away slopes and ridges over the prairie! Oh, how faint and far
and glimmering were the night lights of the stars, dimmed into
nothingness by the broad, brilliant, overwhelming radiance of the Queen
of Heaven! Oh, how sweet, luring, love-lighting were those witching
waltz strains floating out upon the breathless air! Oh, how warm and
close was the pressure of his strong arm as it held her hand upon his
beating heart! Knowing--well knowing what must be coming, powerless,
even if determined to check him, she bowed her sweet face, and the young
soldier's surging love words brok