ay--to lie for the moment unafraid--to cease
thinking, to yield every sense to heavenly lethargy--to forget--to
forget the dark world's sorrows and her own.

The high planets shed their calm light upon her hair, silvering her
slender neck and the hand holding to his sleeve, and the steel edge
of his sabre hilt, and a gilded button at his throat. And all else
lay in shadow, wrapping them close together in obscurity.

At times he thought she was asleep, and scarcely moving, bent
nearer; but always felt the nervous closing of her fingers on his
sleeve.

And at last sleep came to her, deadening every sense. Cautiously
he took her hand; the slim fingers relaxed; body and limbs were
limp, senses clouded, as he lifted her in his arms and rose.

"Don't--go," she murmured drowsily.

"No, dear."

Through the darkness, moving with infinite care, he bore her under
the stars and stepped noiselessly across the veranda, entered, and
laid her on his cot.

"Philip," she murmured.

But he whispered to her that she must sleep, that he would be near
her, close to her. And she sighed deeply, and her white lids
closed again and rested unstirring on her pallid cheeks.

So she slept till the stars faded, then, awaking, lifted her head,
bewildered, drawing her hand from his; and saw the dawn graying his
face where he sat beside her.

She sat up, rigid, on the blanket, the vivid colour staining her
from throat to brow; then memory overwhelmed her. She covered her
eyes with both arms and her head dropped forward under the beauty
of her disordered hair.

Minute succeeded minute; neither spoke nor moved. Then, slowly, in
silence, she looked up at him and met his gaze. It was her
confession of faith.

He could scarcely hear her words, so tremulously low was the voice
that uttered them.

"Dr. Benton told me everything. Take me back. The world is empty
without you. I've been through the depths of it--my heart has
searched it from the ends to the ends of it. . . . And finds no
peace where you are not--no hope--no life. All is desolation
without you. Take me back."

She stretched out her hands to him; he took them, and pressed them
against his lips; and looking across at him, she said:

"Love me--if you will--as you will. I make no terms; I ask none.
Teach me your way; your way is mine--if it leads to you; all other
paths are dark, all other ways are strange. I know, for I have
trodden them, and lost myself. Only the