ll attacked
her sharply.

"I--I--I'm sure--I am happy just because I am, I dare say," she
faltered, conscious of an imperative inclination to lower her eyes, but
strangely unable to do so.

"You love this island because you love me," he whispered in her ear.

"No, no! It is not that! Please don't be foolish again, Hugh. You will
make me very unhappy."

"But you do love me. You love me, and you do not know it," he said,
thrilled with exultation. She looked at him wonderingly, a half
scornful, half dubious smile flitting over her face.

"I will try to be patient with you. Don't you think I know my own mind?"
she asked.

"No; you do not," he said vigorously. "Let me ask you a few questions,
and I beg of you, for your own sake and mine, to answer them without
equivocation. I'll prove to you that you love me."

"Who is to be the judge?" she asked merrily. She trembled and turned
cold as he took her hand in his and--she was not merry.

"First, is there another man in the world that you would rather have
here? Answer, dear." The blood mounted to her cheek at the term of
endearment.

"Not one," she answered firmly, trying to smile.

"Have you never thought--be honest, now--that you don't want to leave
the island because it would mean our separation?"

"Yes, but--but it would be the same with anybody else if I cared for
him," she exclaimed quickly.

"But there is no one else, is there?" She looked at him helplessly.
"Answer!"

"Oh, Hugh, I--it would not be right for me to encourage you by answering
that. Please let us go back to the village," she pleaded.

"Well, I know there is no one else. Tell me that you don't want to leave
me because we should drift apart in the big world," he persisted.

"I had thought of that," she said so low that he could barely hear.

"You have prayed that Grace may be alive. What would it mean to you if
she should be alive and we should be reunited?"

"I--I don't know," she muttered blankly.

"Would you be willing and happy to give me up to her?"

"I never thought of that," she said. Then a terror leaped to her eyes
and her breast heaved as with pain. "Oh, Hugh, what would that mean to
me? I could not give you up--I could not!" she cried, clasping his hand
feverishly in both of hers.

"Would you be glad to see us married, to see us living together, to see
children come to us? Would you be happy if I forgot you in my love for
her?" he went on remorselessly, yet delightedly.