to her, not to any one else. But his
danger was not over then; in his great extremity and in his need of
her, he might have felt what he did not feel now. If he wanted her,
why did he not send for her?

She stood trembling as she saw Edith Overton in the hall.

"Hugh has been asking for you continually, Miss Santoine. If you can
find time, please go in and see him."

Harriet did not know what answer she made. She went upstairs: she ran,
as soon as she was out of sight of Hugh's sister; then, at Hugh's door,
she had to halt to catch her breath and compose herself before she
opened the door and looked in upon him. He was alone and seemed
asleep; at least his eyes were closed. Harriet stood an instant gazing
at him.

His face was peaceful now but worn and his paleness was more evident
than when he had been talking to her father. As she stood watching
him, she felt her blood coursing through her as never before and
warming her face and her fingertips; and fear--fear of him or of
herself, fear of anything at all in the world--fled from her; and
love--love which she knew that she need no longer try to
deny--possessed her.

"Harriet!" She heard her name from his lips and she saw, as he opened
his eyes and turned to her, there was no surprise in his look; if he
had been sleeping, he had been dreaming she was there; if awake, he had
been thinking of her.

"What is it, Hugh?" She was beside him and he was looking up into her
eyes.

"You meant it, then?"

"Meant it, Hugh?"

"All you said and--and all you did when we--you and I--were alone
against them all! It's so, Harriet! You meant it!"

"And you did too! Dear, it was only to me that you could come
back--only to me?"

"Only to you!" He closed his eyes in his exaltation. "Oh, my dear, I
never dreamed--Harriet in all the days and nights I've had to plan and
wonder what might be for me if everything could come all right, I've
never dreamed I could win a reward like this."

"Like this?"

He opened his eyes again and drew her down toward him. "Like you!"

She bent until her cheek touched his and his arms were about her. He
felt her tears upon his face.

"Not that; not that--you mustn't cry, dear," he begged. "Oh, Harriet,
aren't you happy now?"

"That's why. Happy! I didn't know before there could be anything like
this."

"Nor I.... So it's all right, Harriet; everything is all right now?"

"All right? Oh, it's all right now, if I can ma