heart reproached her for the falseness of her
tongue, and this had been a passionate impulse of atonement to him for
the wrong that she had done. But stronger than her heart was the other
voice that told her to make her utmost effort to keep up the deceit, for
in the moment that the knowledge came to her that her heart, for the
first time, was possessed by a true and mighty love an instinct stronger
than that love itself compelled her to deny it--to give any answer, go
any length, do anything sooner than make an admission by which she might
be betrayed into doing a great and ineradicable wrong to the man she
loved. Yes, the man she loved! For one second's space she let the inward
flame leap up, and then she forced it back and smothered it down, with
all the power that was in her.

When Noel turned, his face was calm and he spoke, too, in a controlled
and quiet voice.

"We will not be the less friends for this, Christine," he said; "the
best that is left to me is to be near you when I can. You will not
forbid me this?"

He saw that her eyes consented. To save her life she could not deny him
this--or deny herself. Which was it that she thought of first?

"I think it best that Mrs. Murray should not know of it," he said, and
again she consented without speaking.

"I shall come as usual," he went on, "and, Christine, never reproach
yourself. Never dream but that it is more joy than I could ever have had
in any other way, only to come and see you and be near you and hear you
speak sometimes. Good-night," he added, taking her cold, little hand in
a gentle clasp. "It is the last time. You will see how faithful I will
be. But once for all--Christine, Christine, Christine!--let me tell you
that I love you with as great and true and strong a love as ever man had
for woman. You seem to me a being between earth and Heaven--better than
men and women here, and only a little below the angels."

She felt the hand that held hers loose its hold, the kind voice died
away, a door far off shut to, and Christine, rousing herself, looked
about her and found that she was alone.

XIV.

Two evenings later Noel called again, finding Mrs. Murray recovered
and able to join the group around the table as usual. There was no
consciousness expressed in the eyes of either Christine or himself
as they met. At first she was very grave and silent, but under the
influence of his easy talk her manner became perfectly natural, and at
the clo