red in
her violet eyes and fell upon Michael's hand, and he shivered with the
intensity of his feelings as he held her close.

"We had made our plans to go East--but my little sweetheart caught cold
somehow--and then he died--Oh! I can't tell you the grief of it,
Michael, I was quite reckless after that--it was in June and I did not
care what happened to me for a long while. I just wanted to get back to
Moravia, not knowing she had left Paris for Rome--and then I crossed in
July--and came here to Brittany and saw and bought Heronac as I told you
before. I heard then that you had not returned from China or made any
sign--and it seemed all so cruel and ruthless, and as there were no
longer any ties between us I thought that I would crush you from my life
and forget you, and that I would educate myself and make something of my
mind."

"Oh, my dear, my dear little girl," Michael sighed. "If you knew how all
this is cutting me to the heart to think of the awful brute I have
been--to think of you bearing things all alone--I somehow never realized
the possibility of this happening--but once or twice when it did cross
my mind I thought of course you would have cabled to me if so--I am
simply appalled now at the casual selfishness of my behavior--can you
ever forgive me, Sabine?"

She smoothed back his dark thick hair and looked into his bold eyes, now
soft and glistening with tears.

"Of course I can forgive you, Michael--I belong to you, you see----"

So when he had kissed her enough in gratitude and contrition he besought
her to go on.

"The years passed and I thought I had really forgotten you--and my life
grew so peaceful with the Pere Anselme and Madame Imogen here at
Heronac, and all sorts of wonderful and interesting studies kept
developing for me. I seemed to grow up and realize things and the
memory of you grew less and less--but society never held out any
attractions for me--only to be with Moravia. I had taken almost a
loathing for men; their actions seemed to me all cruel and predatory,
not a single one attracted me in the least degree--until this summer at
Carlsbad when we met Henry. And he appeared so good and true and
kind--and I felt he could lift me to noble things and give me a guiding
hand to greatness of purpose in life--I liked him--but I must tell you
the truth, Michael, and you will see how small I am," here she held
tightly to Michael's hand--"I do not think I would ever have promised
him at Carl