aid of myself--will
you go away? The thought of your danger is like a nightmare to me. It
all seems so absurd and unreasonable--I mean that the danger which I
fear should be hanging over you. But I think that there is just a little
something back of your brain of which you have never spoken, which it
was your duty to keep to yourself, and it is just that something which
brings the danger."

"I am not afraid for myself, Philippa," he told her. "I took a false
step in life when I came here. What it was that attracted me I do not
know. I think it was the thought of that wild ride amongst the
clouds, and the starlight. It seemed such a wonderful beginning to any
enterprise. And, Philippa, for one part of my adventure, the part which
concerns you, it was a gorgeous prelude, and for the other--well, it
just does not count because I have no fear. I have faith in my fortune,
do you know that? I believe that I shall leave this place unharmed, but
I believe that if I leave it without you, I shall go back to the worst
hell in which a man could ever..."

"Bertram," she pleaded, "think of it all. Even if I cared enough--and I
don't--there is something unnatural about it. Doesn't it strike you as
horrible? My brother, my cousins, my father, are all fighting the men of
the nation whose cause you have espoused! There is a horrible, eternal
cloud of hatred which it will take generations to get rid of, if ever it
disappears. How can we two speak of love! What part of the world could
we creep into where people would not shrink away from us? I may have
lost a little of my heart to you, Bertram, I may miss you when you go
away, I may waste weary hours thinking, but that is all. Oh, you know
that it must be all!"

"I do not," he answered stubbornly.

"Oh, you must be reasonable," she begged, with a little break in her
voice. "You know very well that I ought not to listen to you. I ought
not to welcome you here. I ought to be strong and close my ears."

"But you will not do that!"

"No!" she faltered. "Please don't come any nearer. I--"

She broke off suddenly. The struggle in her face was ended, her
expression transformed. Her finger was held up as though to bid him
listen. With her other hand she clutched the back of the couch. Her eyes
were fixed upon the door. The little patch of wonderful colour faded
from her cheeks.

"Listen!" she cried, with a note of terror in her voice. "That was the
front door! Some one has come! Can't yo