ilence, but he thought that he saw her breast heave
gently. Then he placed his hand, all trembling with the fierce emotion
that throbbed along his veins, upon the palm that hung listless by her
side, and gazed into her eyes. Still she neither spoke nor shrank,
and, in the imperfect light, her face looked very pale, while her
lovely eyes were dark and meaningless as those of one entranced.

Then slowly he gathered up his courage for an effort, and, raising his
face to the level of her own, he kissed her full upon her lips. She
stirred, she sighed. He had broken the spell; the sweet face that had
withdrawn itself drew nearer to him; for a second the awakened eyes
looked into his own, and filled them with reflected splendour, and
then he became aware of a warm arm thrown about his neck, and next--
the stars grew dim, and sense and life itself seemed to shake upon
their thrones, for a joy almost too great for mortal man to bear took
possession of his heart as she laid her willing lips upon his own. And
then, before he knew her purpose, she slid down upon her knees beside
him, and placed her head upon her breast.

"Dearest," he said, "don't kneel so; look at me."

Slowly she raised her face, wreathed and lovely with many blushes, and
looked upon him with tearful eyes. He tried to raise her.

"Let me be," she said, speaking very low. "I am best so; it is the
attitude of adoration, and I have found--my divinity."

"But I cannot bear to see you kneel to me."

"Oh! Arthur, you do not understand; a minute since _I_ did not
understand that a woman is very humble when she really loves.

"Do you--really love me, Angela?"

"I do."

"Have you known that long?"

"I only _knew_ it when--when you kissed me. Before then there was
something in my heart, but I did not know what it was. Listen, dear,"
she went on, "for one minute to me first, and I will get up" (for he
was again attempting to raise her). "What I have to say is best said
upon my knees, for I want to thank God who sent you to me, and to
thank you too for your goodness. It is so wonderful that you should
love a simple girl like me, and I am so thankful to you. Oh! I have
never lived till now, and" (rising to her full stature) "I feel as
though I had been crowned a queen of happy things. Dethrone me, desert
me, and I will still be grateful to you for this hour of imperial
happiness. But if you, after a while, when you know all my faults and
imperfections better, can