greatest charm."

"Oh, yes, I do!" she answers, showing her white teeth and her dimples
in a sudden smile. "But, after all, as you said once, if you remember,
I am only an Irish girl; and the wonder is that such a fine gentleman
as this George Cantrill should look at me! Don't you think so?"

"No, I do not," he returns frigidly. "I think you are a fit wife for
any man!"

"And since when have you thought that, Brian? Tell me the truth," the
girl says, stopping on the narrow path, and looking up at him with
lovely imperious eyes.

The man's heart yearns for her, as she stands there in her grace and
beauty, and the passionate love he has tried so hard to subdue rises
and masters him.

"What does that matter? I know it now!" he says hoarsely. "Should I be
here to-day if I did not?"

"And what brought you here to-day, Brian?" She is looking at him, and
he feels his cheeks burn under her glance.

"It's too late to talk of that now," he says, trying not to look at her.

"Let me be judge of that; tell me"--coaxingly--"why you came all this
way, and you so ill--not fit to travel?"

"I came to ask you to be my wife, Honor. I fought against it as long as
I could; but my love was stronger than my pride, and I came, even at
the risk of being mocked at for my folly. But I had not been five
minutes in the house before I heard you were going to marry this fellow
from Dublin, and even then I was fool enough to come out to look at
you. I could not go away without one glance at your face."

"I should think not," Honor says softly.

"Oh, it was very stupid of me!" he answers, with a grim smile. "But
there's not much harm done, and I shall go by the next train."

"But"--with a swift hot blush--"you have not done what you came to do!"

He looks at her angrily. He sees nothing but mockery in her face, and
his heart is sore, for all his pride resents it.

"Of course not! Why should I ask another man's betrothed to marry me?"

"But I am not another man's betrothed," the girl says, with a little
sob. She is acting in a very unlady-like manner; but this is not the
time to stand on etiquette; a little false pride now, and this man whom
she loves with all her heart would slip out of her life never to
return. She trembles and turns pale at the mere thought. "And I do
think, if you came all the way from England to ask me that, you should
ask me," she stammers, and turns rosy red again.

"Good heavens, Honor, are you making a fool