himself in check.

"There is nothing wrong, Princess," he said steadily. "I am, as ever,
your humble servant, only I've got to come to the point with you before
you go. I've got to make the most of this shred of opportunity which you
have given me against your will. You are not disposed to be generous, I
see; but I appeal to your sense of justice. Is it fair play at all to
fling a man into gaol, and to refuse to let him plead on his own
behalf?"

The annoyance passed like a shadow from her face. She began to smile.

"What can you mean?" she said. "Is it a joke--a riddle? Am I supposed to
laugh?"

"Heaven help me, no!" he said. "There is only one woman in the world
that I can't trifle with, and that's yourself."

"Oh, but what an admission!" She laughed at him, softly mocking. "And
I'm so fond of trifling, too. Then what can you possibly want with me? I
suppose you have really called to say good-bye."

"No," said Hone. He spoke quickly, and, as he spoke, he leaned towards
her. A deep glow had begun to smoulder in his eyes. "It's something else
that I've come to say--something quite different. I've come to tell you
that you are all the world to me, that I love you with all there is of
me, that I have always loved you. Yes, you'll laugh at me. You'll think
me mad. But if I don't take this chance of telling you, I'll never have
another. And even if it makes no difference at all to you, I'm bound to
let you know."

He ceased. The fire that smouldered in his eyes had leaped to lurid
flame; but still he held himself in check, he subdued the racing madness
in his veins. He was, as ever, her humble servant.

Perhaps she realized it, for she showed no sign of shrinking as she
stood before him. Her eyes grew a little wider and a little darker, that
was all.

"I don't know what to say to you, Major Hone," she said, after a
moment. "I don't know even what you expect me to say, since you
expressly tell me that you are not trifling."

"Faith!" he broke in impetuously. "And is it trifling I'd be with the
only woman I ever loved or ever wanted? I'm not asking you to flirt. I'm
asking a bigger thing of you than that. I'm asking you--Princess, I'm
asking you to stay--and be my wife."

He drew nearer to her, but he made no attempt to touch her. Only the
flame of his passion seemed to reach her, to scorch her, for she made a
slight movement away from him.

She looked at him doubtfully. "I still don't know what to say," she
s