ands, and it would have been difficult to
recognize his bold eyes, so filled were they with tenderness and love.

"Sabine," he commanded, fondly, "tell me that, after all, you have
forgiven me for making you stay that night. You know that we were
perfectly happy at the end of it, and it will be such pain for me to
have to remember all the rest of my life that you hold resentment.
Darling, if only you had stayed! Oh! I would have cherished you and
petted you," here he smoothed her hair, and murmured love words in her
ear with his wonderful charm, until Sabine felt that neither heaven nor
earth nor anything else mattered but only he.

"Sweetheart," he went on, "we have got to part in a moment, but I just
must know if you love me a little in spite of everything. I _must know_,
my darling little girl."

Then he held her to him again with immense tenderness, even in this
moment of agonized parting exulting in the intoxication of love he saw
that he had created in her eyes. There was no wile for the enslaving of
a woman's heart that he was not master of. The question as to whether he
ought to have employed them on this occasion is quite another matter,
and not for our consideration! He was doing what he thought was the only
honorable thing possible, giving up this glorious happiness, and he was
merely a strong, passionate human being after all. They were going to
part for the rest of their lives; he must make her tell him that she
loved him, he wanted to hear her say the words.

"Sabine--little darling--answer me," he pleaded.

She flung her arms round his neck, her whole body vibrating with
emotion.

"I love you absolutely, Michael," she cried, "and I have always forgiven
you--I was mad to leave you, and I have longed often to go back. Oh! I
would sooner be dead than not to be your wife."

They both were white now, the misery was so great. He knew he must go at
once, or he could never go at all. They were too racked with present
suffering to think what the future could contain, or of the growing
agony of the long weary days and how they could ever bear them.

"My God, this is past endurance!" Michael exclaimed frantically. And
after a wild embrace, he almost flung her from him. Then, as she
staggered to a sofa she heard the door close, and knew that chapter of
her life was done.

She sat there for a while gazing into the fire, too stunned with misery
even to think; but presently everything came to her with merciles