rest glow in her eyes. It seemed that the hand
which rested in mine returned the pressure.

"Beryl--darling--my love for you has been steadily growing since we
first became inmates of the same house. I was on the point of telling
you so when that idiot Trask came clattering in upon us that day we were
riding back from Stacey's. Then, afterwards, as you know, there were
other things that made the time not an opportune one; and the day before
you returned home I got the news that made me think I was a beggar."

"Yes. And you took to behaving very strangely towards me then, as I
think I told you."

"Shall I tell you something, dearest? I was beastly jealous of
Pentridge."

"Were you? Well, you needn't be ever again. Shall I tell _you_
something, dearest--only as a secret? He asked me to marry him."

"The day he left?"

She nodded.

"I thought he would," I said. "And--why didn't you?"

"Because I greatly preferred some one else."

"Who is the `some one else'?"

"If you will promise not to talk any more--you have already talked a
great deal too much--I'll tell you. You will? Well, then--" and the
look upon her face was to my eyes simply heavenly, as she bent down her
sweet lips to my ear, touched it with them, and whispered just one word:
"You."

I hardly know what the next few moments contained, except that it was
far too radiantly blissful to put into mere words. Then looking down
upon me, her cool hand lovingly moving over my forehead and temples, she
said--

"Now you will be quick and get well--for my sake, won't you, Kenrick
dear?"

"Rather! Pentridge may consider the cure complete. My mind is clear
now, at any rate." And then I stopped, feeling rather ashamed of my
exhilaration and happiness, considering how recent was the blow which
had fallen, and said so. But she reassured me.

"It is just as the dear old dad would have wished," she said. "He had
such an opinion of you, Kenrick. Now--where is your promise? You were
not to talk any more, do you remember?"

"But I have hardly said anything yet. And--I want to."

"Haven't you? You have been delirious, remember, dearest, and when
people are delirious they say a great deal." And with a glad,
mischievous laugh, again she bent down her lips to mine.

I gained strength daily now, almost hourly. But Pentridge wondered not
at the sudden change when he learned how it had been brought about. He
congratulated us in a cordial, manly