," he said, "between us at least there shall be nothing to be
forgiven."

"There is nothing," said she.

"And there shall be no broken love. I am true to you now--as ever."

"And, what, then, of your truth to Miss Florence Burton?"

"It will not be for you to rebuke me with that. We have, both of us,
played our game badly, but not for that reason need we both be ruined
and broken-hearted. In your folly you thought that wealth was better
than love; and I, in my folly--I thought that one love blighted might be
mended by another. When I asked Miss Burton to be my wife you were the
wife of another man. Now that you are free again I cannot marry Miss
Burton."

"You must marry her, Harry."

"There shall be no must in such a case. You do not know her, and cannot
understand how good, how perfect she is. She is too good to take a hand
without a heart."

"And what would men say of you?"

"I must bear what men say. I do not suppose that I shall be all
happy--not even with your love. When things have once gone wrong they
cannot be mended without showing the patches. But yet men stay the hand
of ruin for a while, tinkering here and putting in a nail there,
stitching and cobbling; and so things are kept together. It must be so
for you and me. Give me your hand, Julia, for I have never deceived you,
and you need not fear that I shall do so now. Give me your hand, and say
that you will be my wife."

"No, Harry; not your wife. I do not, as you say, know that perfect girl,
but I will not rob one that is so good."

"You are bound to me, Julia. You must do as I bid you. You have told me
that you love me; and I have told you--and I tell you now, that I love
none other as I love you--have never loved any other as I loved you.
Give me your hand." Then, coming to her, he took her hand, while she sat
with her face averted from him. "Tell me that you will be my wife." But
she would not say the words. She was less selfish than he, and was
thinking--was trying to think what might be best for them all, but,
above all, what might be best for him. "Speak to me," he said, "and
acknowledge that you wronged me when you thought that the expression of
my love was an insult to you."

"It is easy to say, speak. What shall I say?"

"Say that you will be my wife."

"No--I will not say it." She rose again from her chair, and took her
hand away from him. "I will not say it. Go now and think over all that
you have done; and I also will think of