If you could only take everything I have and use it; I want nothing but
to be of use to you."

She looked at him for a few moments.

"How do you know," she said slowly, "that you could not do something to
serve me? You could serve me by giving me your name."

He started, and turned his burning face to her.

"You are very cruel; you are ridiculing me," he said.

"No, I am not, Gregory. What I am saying is plain, matter-of-fact
business. If you are willing to give me your name within three weeks'
time, I am willing to marry you, if not, well. I want nothing more than
your name. That is a clear proposal, is it not?"

He looked up. Was it contempt, loathing, pity, that moved in the eyes
above! He could not tell; but he stooped over the little foot and kissed
it.

She smiled.

"Do you really mean it?" he whispered.

"Yes. You wish to serve me, and to have nothing in return!--you shall
have what you wish." She held out her fingers for Doss to lick. "Do you
see this dog? He licks my hand because I love him; and I allow him to.
Where I do not love I do not allow it. I believe you love me; I too
could love so, that to lie under the foot of the thing I loved would be
more heaven than to lie in the breast of another. Come! let us go. Carry
the dog," she added; "he will not bite you if I put him in your arms.
So--do not let his foot hang down."

They descended the kopje. At the bottom, he whispered:

"Would you not take my arm? the path is very rough."

She rested her fingers lightly on it.

"I may yet change my mind about marrying you before the time comes. It
is very likely. Mark you!" she said, turning round on him; "I remember
your words: You will give everything, and expect nothing. The knowledge
that you are serving me is to be your reward; and you will have that.
You will serve me, and greatly. The reasons I have for marrying you
I need not inform you of now; you will probably discover some of them
before long."

"I only want to be of some use to you," he said.

It seemed to Gregory that there were pulses in the soles of his feet,
and the ground shimmered as on a summer's day. They walked round the
foot of the kopje and past the Kaffer huts. An old Kaffer maid knelt
at the door of one grinding mealies. That she should see him walking
so made his heart beat so fast, that the hand on his arm felt its
pulsation. It seemed that she must envy him.

Just then Em looked out again at the back window and saw the