to her face, and before he recognised what he
was saying, Ambleside and Windemere were quite forgotten, and he was
telling Thora that he loved her with an everlasting love. He vowed
that he had loved her in his past lives, and would love her, and only
her, forever. And he looked so handsome and spoke in words of the
sweetest tenderness, and indeed was amazed at his own passionate
eloquence, but knew in his soul that every word he said was true.

And Thora, the innocent little one, was equally sure of his truth. She
blushed and listened, while he drew her closer to his side calling her
"his own, his very own!" and begging her to promise that she would
"marry him, and no other man, in the whole earth."

And Thora promised him what he wished and for one-half hour they were
in Paradise.

Now, how could this love affair have come to perfection so rapidly?
Because it was the natural and the proper way. True love dates its
birth from the first glance. It is the coming together of two souls,
and in their first contact love flashes forth like flame. And then
their influence over each other is like that gravitation which one
star exerts over another star.

But much that passes for love is not love. It is only a prepossession,
pleasant and profitable, promising many every-day advantages. True
love is a deep and elemental thing, a secret incredible glory, in a
way, it is even a spiritual triumph. And we should have another name
for love like this. For it is the long, long love, that has followed
us through ages, the healing love, the Comforter! In the soul of a
young, innocent girl like Thora, it is a kind of piety, and ought to
be taken with a wondering thankfulness.

An emotion so spiritual and profound was beyond Sunna's understanding.
She divined that there had been some sort of love-making, but she was
unfamiliar with its present indications. Her opinion, however, was
that Ian had offered himself to Thora, and been rejected; in no other
way could she account for the far-offness of both parties. Thora
indeed was inexplicable. She not only refused to show Sunna her Easter
dress, she would not enter into any description of it.

"That is a very remarkable thing," she said to her grandfather, as
they walked home together. "I think the young man made love to Thora
and even asked her to marry him, and Thora was frightened and said
'No!' and she is likely sorry now that she did not say 'Yes.'"

"To say 'No!' would not have fri