and before she could enter into any explanation, he
had bent down and kissed her.

"My precious darling!" he passionately exclaimed. "I never could
forget thee; thy name is written on my heart; I shall never cease to
love thee. The saints forfend me, Doll. I were a miscreant indeed were
I to play traitor to thy love."

"I shall trust you, John," she replied, bestowing upon him a look of
undisguised affection; "I do trust thee; I shall be happy in thy love.
Whatever trouble comes I shall be happy, because I shall know your
heart is trusty and true."

"That it shall be, Doll," he cried, "a right trusty heart--though they
do make thee wed Edward Stanley."

"John!" she exclaimed quickly, flushing scarlet again, "have I not
given my troth to thee? They shall not force me into it. You can trust
me."

"O, Doll. My love, my darling, it would break my heart to give thee
up; but I must do it for the sake of thy happiness."

Poor heart, he spoke but the truth, but he spoke it as bravely as he
could.

"Hush, John," Dorothy hastily broke in; "you must not say such
things."

"Alas! you little know, my sweet one, to what misery you would consign
yourself if you proved staunch to me," he continued. "This fragile
form was not made to suffer, but to recline in ease," he added, as he
gazed fondly at the graceful form of the maiden.

"I have recked the cost," she simply replied. "You do not doubt me, do
you, John?" she asked, looking up into his troubled face.

"Doubt thee, no;" he replied, "but I would save thee from a host of
sorrows."

Dorothy held her head down in silence, and seeing that she did not
answer. Manners continued.

"I must be frank with you, Doll. The husband they have chosen thee may
be an earl in time to come, and is a Derby to boot. He is rich, and
mayhap he may love thee, too, and I--and I----"

"Stop, John, stop," she commanded. "Would you thus trifle with my
love? I have seen in thee a noble heart, a kind heart, a loving heart.
I have refused many before thee. I have just refused one lord, and
I shall refuse the other. You would not so dispraise yourself but to
dissuade me; but you have yet to learn the constancy of a maiden's
love."

"Are you resolved?" he asked, almost choked by the feelings of joy her
words had caused.

"I am," she firmly replied; "I shall brave the worst, and be happy in
your love. What more can I desire?"

Manners was too much overcome to speak. He could only weakly
arti