her; but,
even had she wished it, we never could have married. We have no means."

"And yet you live like rich people."

"We have no means because we have lived like rich people."

"You have never asked her to marry you?"

"Never."

"Nor made her think that you would ask her? That comes to the same
thing, Captain De Baron."

"How am I to answer that? How am I to tell it all without seeming to
boast. When it first came to pass that we knew ourselves well enough to
admit of such a thing being said between us, I told her that marriage
was impossible. Is not that enough?"

"I suppose so," said Lady George, who remembered well every word that
Gus Mildmay had said to herself. "I don't know why I should enquire
about it, only I thought----"

"I know what you thought."

"What did I think?"

"That I was a heartless scoundrel."

"No, never. If I had, I should not have,--have cared about it. Perhaps
it has been unfortunate."

"Most unfortunate!" Then again there was a pause, during which he went
on smoking while she played with her mallet. "I wish I could tell you
everything about it;--only I can't. Did she ever speak to you?"

"Yes, once."

"And what did she say?"

"I cannot tell you that either."

"I have endeavoured to be honest; but sometimes it is so difficult. One
wants sometimes to tell the whole truth, but it won't come out. I am
engaged to her now."

"You are engaged to her!"

"And two days since I was as free as ever."

"Then I may congratulate you."

"No, no. It makes me miserable. I do not love her. There is one other
person that I care for, and I never can care for any one else. There is
one woman that I love, and I never really loved any one else."

"That is very sad, Captain De Baron."

"Is it not? I can never marry Miss Mildmay."

"And yet you have promised?"

"I have promised under certain circumstances which can never, never
come about."

"Why did you promise if you do not love her?"

"Cannot you understand without my telling you? I cannot tell you that.
I am sure you understand."

"I suppose I do. Poor Miss Mildmay!"

"And poor Jack De Baron!"

"Yes; poor Jack De Baron also! No man should talk to a girl of marrying
her unless he loves her. It is different with a girl. She may come to
love a man. She may love a man better than all the world, though she
hardly knew him when she married him. If he is good to her, she will
certainly do so. But if a man marries a woman without