? You know my ideas about love. We have
talked of them together, and you know for what I have been waiting. It
came to me this afternoon, at the moment when Eve's eyes looked into
mine. From that moment there was no going back."

"My dear Rupert!" cried Mrs Melhuish again. The anger had faded from
her face, but she looked infinitely distressed. With all her heart she
wished that this meeting had never taken place. "My dear Rupert, to
have waited so long, and then to rush into folly like this! I do know
your ideas, and very beautiful they are; all the more reason why you
should make no mistake. There is always the reverse side of the
picture, and as you can love more keenly than other men, so of a
certainty can you suffer more. You may feel powerfully attracted to
poor Eve, but you have no idea of the strain and weariness of battling
with a mind diseased. It's hard enough when such a task comes to one as
an obvious duty, but to _choose_ it!"

"I did not choose it," Rupert said quietly. "There is no question of
choice. It has to be. Don't make it harder for me by misunderstanding.
For a moment I thought my kingdom had come, but that was a mistake. I
have met my Queen, but I shall have to serve for her before she is
really mine. Seven years I may have to serve--perhaps for twice seven
years. Do you think a man would deliberately _choose_ such a fate?
It's something stronger than choice between Eve and me. The simple
truth is that I have no object in life but to help her to get back to
the light. I'll tell you something else, too--_I'm the only man who can
do ill_. I possess a power over her which no doctor or nurse could
obtain. Good heavens! Haven't they had ten years for their
experiments? How much longer would you have me content to stand by and
wait? If she has any relations, they must be thankful to give her a
chance of being cared for, for love instead of money. I'll find her a
nurse, the best nurse that can be had. We'll take her abroad to live in
the sun, away from all her old associations. She is afraid of those
people--did you know that? She is not afraid of me. She _wants_ to
come. My dear lady, this thing is going to _be_! The question is--am I
to have your help?" Mrs Melhuish was not easily convinced, but she was
conquered in the end, as were, in turns, the few relatives whom Eve
possessed. All had been conscious that the time had come to make a
change, and no more promising c