woman I am
marrying, and for the many qualities of kindness and goodness in that
whole household. But she is not my true mate. Unlimited as is her virtue
in a hundred ways, she herself is yet limited. My work must find
inspiration entirely apart from her. May I think of you, princess, as my
inspiration?"

"She is a good woman. You must be loyal to her."

"It would be no disloyalty; I should be cherishing the ideal."

She was smiling and radiant again. "I can scarcely stop you--I see it
would certainly be rash to try. Well, goodbye now; I have a thousand
little neglected things crying to me. And your moments, too, are
precious. You will be here again one of these mornings?"

"To-morrow," he said. "For the present, we may be friends?"

"Till the tide sweeps us apart."

"The cruel tide!" he murmured. "But you will always be the wonderful
princess," he insisted again.

"I shall try to be worthy of the title."

She gave him a charming curtsey, flitted away down the room, threw him
yet a smile, and disappeared behind the panelled door through which she
had come.

XVII

For some time Wyndham stood with his head still bowed as Lady Betty's
voice lingered in his ear. Her figure was still there before him, her
lovely girl's face radiant with the smile with which she had vanished,
her slender form in all its upright grace; a nymph of whom Botticelli
had caught a glimpse on a spring morn when the world was rediscovering
beauty.

He tried to recall the scene that had just been enacted, and dizzily
held it all in a flash. He and Lady Betty were in love with each other!
The fact that he had always cherished the thought of her held a deeper
significance than he had known! Throughout all his sufferings--throughout
all her sufferings--an ideal friendship for each other had subsisted in
their minds. He had supposed her as indifferent as she was unattainable;
that his love was one of those secret, mocking dramas that sometimes
play themselves out in the souls of men and women. Yet it was to him
that her deepest thought had turned! She had enshrined him in her
heart! And he lying the whilst in darkness and misery!

It was precious now--this new sweetness that had come to him. Sweetness!
His thought broke off at the word. Rather was it a bitter irony! Lady
Betty and he had been cheated by life. Could he be even sure his eyes
would behold her again? Was she not the soul of honour and rectitude!
For a deep instant they