ms to me when I think of it, then it
couldn't be wrong in the presence of death itself. I do love you; and I
want you some day for my wife. Yes! But don't answer that now! If you
never answer me, or if you deny me at last, still I want you to let me
be your true lover, while I can, and to do everything that your accepted
lover could, whether you ever look at me again or not. Couldn't you do
that?"

"You know I couldn't," she answered, simply.

"Couldn't you?" he asked, and he fell into a forlorn silence, as if he
could not say anything more. He forced her to take the word by asking,
"Then you are offended with me?"

"How could I be?"

"Oh--"

"It's what any girl might be glad of--"

"Oh, my--"

"And I am not so silly as to think there can be a wrong time for it. If
there were, you would make it right, if you chose it. You couldn't do
anything I should think wrong. And I--I--love you, too--"

"Suzette! Suzette!" he called wildly, as if she were a great way off. It
seemed to him his heart would burst. He got awkwardly before her, and
tried to seize her hand.

She slipped by him, with a pathetic "Don't! But you know I never could
be your wife. You _know_ that."

"I don't know it. Why shouldn't you?"

"Because I couldn't bring my father's shame on my husband."

"It wouldn't touch me, any more than it touches you!"

"It would touch your father and mother--and Louise."

"They all admire you and honor you. They think you're everything that's
true and grand."

"Yes, while I keep to myself. And I shall keep to myself. I know how;
and I shall not give way. Don't think it!"

"You will do what is right. I shall think that."

"Don't praise me! I can't bear it."

"But I love you, and how can I help praising you? And if you love me--"

"I do. I do, with all my heart." She turned and gave him an impassioned
look from the height of her inapproachability.

"Then I won't ask you to be my wife, Suzette! I know how you feel; I
won't be such a liar as to pretend I don't. And I will respect your
feeling, as the holiest thing on earth. And if you wish, we will be
engaged as no other lovers ever were. You shall promise nothing but to
let me help you all I can, for our love's sake, and I will promise never
to speak to you of our love again. That shall be our secret--our
engagement. Will you promise?"

"It will be hard for you," she said, with a pitying look, which perhaps
tried him as sorely as anything could.

"Not