y can last. Perfect happiness is
not for this world. It was all beautiful. The place where we camped
was like another Garden of Eden; the weather was exquisite, such days,
such mornings! Oh, Evelyn, such nights! The sky a dome of deepest
blue, with the stars shining as you never saw them in this damp, misty
atmosphere. And he and I--"

Her voice broke. Her hand went up to her face to hide the quivering of
her lips. It was a petrifying thing to see Charmion break down. I
turned away my eyes, unable to bear it. There was silence in the room
for several moments, then she began again.

"Nothing was said in words. I didn't want him to speak. I was
perfectly happy, perfectly sure, and I dreaded the publicity of an
engagement. Every one talking, questioning, teasing. It would have
seemed profanation. Besides--if Marjorie had really cared as I
suspected, it would have been painful for her. I wouldn't _let_ him
speak until we got back to New York, and then, the very night I arrived,
Aunt Mary was taken dangerously ill. She lingered a few weeks, but
there was never any hope. Then she died and I was left alone, for her
son, my cousin, lived in India.

"All that time he--my husband--had been coming to see me every day. The
doctor insisted that I should go out to be braced by the fresh air, so
he took me long drives, long walks, and then sat by me indoors,
comforting me, helping, advising. He was everything to me, Evelyn!
Aunt Mary was dying, and she had been like a mother, but when he was
with me I was satisfied; I was content. When she died, he urged an
immediate marriage, and I was quite ready. She had left no money to me,
but I told him I had some of my own. He kissed me, and"--again her hand
went up to hide that quivering lip--"he said that did not concern him.
He could keep his wife. What money I had I must keep for myself, to pay
for `little extravagancies'.

"I was thankful that he did not know, thankful that he did not care. I
looked forward to telling him after we were married, and seeing his face
of surprise. We had planned to live in an apartment until we had time
to choose a house for ourselves. I laughed to think how much bigger and
finer it would be than the little house of his dreams. He was not at
all rich--did I tell you that? He had had a pretty hard struggle all
his life, and had only quite a moderate income. I went to my lawyer and
settled a fourth of my income on him for life.