that seemingly brilliant and happy young
life, which caused the exquisite head to droop as if under a load of
sorrow.

A broken sigh escaped her lips, or was it the sighing of the wind in the
elms?

He was smitten with remorse to think that he should have helped to make
her cry.

"Sue--my little, beautiful Sue," he murmured, himself astonished at his
own temerity in thus daring to address her. It was her grief which had
brought her down to his level: the instinct of chivalry, of protection,
of friendship which had raised him up to hers.

"Will you ever forgive me?" he said, "I had no right to speak to you as
I have done.... And yet ..."

He paused and she repeated his last two words--gently, encouragingly.

"And yet ... good master?"

"Yet at times, when I see the crowd of young, empty-headed
fortune-seeking jackanapes, who dare to aspire to your ladyship's hand
... I have asked myself whether perchance I had the right to remain
silent, whilst they poured their farrago of nonsense into your ear. I
love you, Sue!"

"No! no! good master!" she ejaculated hurriedly, while a nameless,
inexplicable fear seemed suddenly to be holding her in its grip, as he
uttered those few very simple words which told the old, old tale.

But those words once uttered, Richard felt that he could not now draw
back. The jealously-guarded secret had escaped his lips, passion refused
to be held longer in check. A torrent of emotion overmastered him. He
forgot where he was, the darkness of the night, the lateness of the
hour, the melancholy murmur of the wind in the trees, he forgot that she
was rich and he a poor dependent, he only remembered that she was
exquisitely fair and that he--poor fool!--was mad enough to worship her.

It was very dark now, for a bank of clouds hid the glory of the evening
sky, and he could see only the mere outline of the woman whom he so
passionately loved, the small head with the fluttering curls fanned by
the wind, the graceful shoulders and arms folded primly across her
bosom.

He put out his hand and found hers. Oh! the delight of raising it to his
lips.

"By the heaven above us, Sue, by all my hopes of salvation I swear to
you that my love is pure and selfless," he murmured tenderly, all the
while that her fragrant little hand was pressed against his lips. "But
for your fortune, I had come to you long ago and said to you 'Let me
work for you!--My love will help me to carve a fortune for you, which i