his disconsolate mood.

"Bear what, dear one?" he asked, looking at her with the wistful eyes
of Tantalus gazing at the luscious fruits which the wrathful winds
wafted ever from his parched lips.

"You know that you have made a mistake, and have brought me out here
to--to----"

"Ah, dear Heaven!" he sighed; "if I had but the strength of will to
adopt that subterfuge it might prove easier for you. But one thing I
cannot do, Hermione. I refuse to set you free by means of a lie. I
love you, and will love you till life itself has sped."

The trouble was not so bad, then. She nestled closer.

"What is it, John dear?" she cooed, quite confident of her ability to
slay dragons so long as he talked in that strain.

He trembled a little, so overpowering was the bitter-sweet sense of her
nearness.

"It is rather horrible that you and I should have to discuss dollars
and cents," he said, speaking with the slow distinctness of a man
pronouncing his own death-sentence, "but your father taunted me with
the fact that you are very wealthy. Is that true?"

"Of course it is."

She affected to treat the matter seriously. It was rather delicious to
find her lover distressing himself about money, if that was all.

"What is your income?" he demanded curtly.

"I am quite rich. I am worth about half a million dollars a year."

He groaned, and shrank away from her.

"Why did you not tell me that sooner?" he said, almost with a scowl.

"Why should I? Does it matter? Isn't it rather nice to have plenty of
money?"

"Good God! It is hard to--to----" His hands covered his face in sheer
agony.

"John, don't be stupid. Why alarm me in that way? Wealth doesn't
bring happiness--far from it. But didn't you and I--discover each
other--before--before----"

"But I know, now," he said brokenly, "and it is a mad absurdity to
think that a woman of your place in the world should marry a poor
engineer. Do you realize that you receive every fortnight more than I
earn in twelve months? King Cophetua marrying a beggar-maid sounds
excellent in romance, but who ever heard of a queen wedding a pauper?"

"You are describing yourself rather lamely, John."

"Hermione, don't drive me beyond endurance. I can't bear it, I tell
you."

She caught his right hand, and imprisoned it lovingly in hers. Her
left hand went around his neck, and she drew him closer.

"John," she whispered, and the fragrance of her was intoxicating, "you
mu