irl to woman in the last twenty-four hours; and all the
woman in her was now awake. After a moment's pause she said with a
winning smile:

'Why, Harold, I've been in long frocks for years. Why should I come here
on this special day on that account?' Even as she was speaking she felt
that it would be well to abandon this ground of inquiry. It had clearly
told her all it could. She would learn more by some other means. So she
went on in a playful way, as a cat--not a kitten--does when it has got a
mouse:

'That reason won't work, Harold. It's quite rusty in the joints. But
never mind it! Tell me why you have come so early?' This seemed to
Harold to be a heaven-sent opening; he rushed in at once:

'Because, Stephen, I wanted to ask you to be my wife! Oh! Stephen, don't
you know that I love you? Ever since you were a little girl! When you
were a little girl and I a big boy I loved you. I have loved you ever
since with all my heart, and soul, and strength. Without you the world
is a blank to me! For you and your happiness I would do
anything--anything!'

This was no acting. When once the barrier of beginning had been broken,
his soul seemed to pour itself out. The man was vibrant through all his
nature; and the woman's very soul realised its truth. For an instant a
flame of gladness swept through her; and for the time it lasted put all
other thought aside.

But suspicion is a hard metal which does not easily yield to fire. It
can come to white heat easily enough, but its melting-point is high
indeed. When the flame had leaped it had spent its force; the reaction
came quick. Stephen's heart seemed to turn to ice, all the heat and life
rushing to her brain. Her thoughts flashed with convincing quickness;
there was no time for doubting amid their rush. Her life was for good or
ill at the crossing of the ways. She had trusted Harold thoroughly. The
habit of her whole life from her babyhood up had been to so look to him
as comrade and protector and sympathetic friend. She was so absolutely
sure of his earnest devotion that this new experience of a riper feeling
would have been a joy to her, if it should be that his act was all
spontaneous and done in ignorance of her shame. 'Shame' was the generic
word which now summarised to herself her thought of her conduct in
proposing to Leonard. But of this she must be certain. She could not,
dare not, go farther till this was settled. With the same cravi