u must understand me when I say that rushing into
a marriage in this mad way is a very dangerous thing. You won't look or
listen to anything I suggest. And really--well, I think you should have
some little consideration for me--"

He regarded her for a moment with a look almost of wonder; and then he
said, hastily,--

"Perhaps you are right, Gerty; I should not have been so selfish.
But--but you cannot tell how I have suffered--all through the
night-time, thinking and thinking--and saying to myself that surely you
could not be going away from me--and in the morning, oh! the emptiness
of all the sea and the sky, and you not there to be asked whether you
would go out to Colonsay, or round to Loch Scridain, or go to see the
rock-pigeons fly out of the caves. It is not a long time since you were
with us Gerty; but to me it seems longer than half a dozen of winters;
for in the winter I said to myself, 'Ah, well, she is now working off
the term of her imprisonment in the theatre; and when the days get long
again, and the blue skies come again, she will use the first of her
freedom to come and see the sea-birds about Dare.' But this last time,
Gerty--well, I had strange doubts and misgivings; and sometimes I
dreamed in the night-time that you were going away from me
altogether--on board a ship--and I called to you and you would not even
turn your head. Oh, Gerty, I can see you now as you were then--your head
turned partly aside; and strangers round you; and the ship was going
farther and farther away; and if I jumped into the sea, how could I
overtake you? But at least the waves would come over me, and I should
have forgetfulness."

"Yes, but you seem to think that my letters to you had no meaning
whatever," said she, almost petulantly. "Surely I tried to explain
clearly enough what our relative positions were?"

"You had got back to the influence of the theatre, Gerty--I would not
believe the things you wrote. I said, 'You will go now and rescue her
from herself. She is only a girl; she is timid; she believes the foolish
things that are said by the people around her.' And then, do you know,
sweetheart," said he, with a sad smile on his face, "I thought if I were
to go and get this paper, and suddenly show it to you--well, it is not
the old romantic way, but I thought you would frankly say 'Yes!' and
have an end of all this pain. Why, Gerty, you have been many a romantic
heroine in the theatre; and you know they are not lo