ammering at my throat,
and made to speak, but could not.

She, too, had risen, gazing steadily at me; and still I could not utter
a word, the blood surging through me and my senses swimming. Love! It
blinded me with its clamor; it frightened me with its rushing tide; it
dinned in my ears, it ran riot, sweeping every vein, choking speech,
while it surged on, wave on wave mounting in flame.

She stood there, pallidly uncertain, looking on the conflagration love
had wrought. Then something of its purport seemed to frighten her, and
she shrank away step by step, passing the portal of her chamber,
retreating, yet facing me still, fascinated eyes on mine.

I heard a voice unlike my own, saying: "I love you, Elsin. Why do you
repulse me?"

And as she answered nothing, I went to her and took her hand. But the
dismayed eyes only widened, the color faded from her parted lips.

"Can you not see," I whispered, "can you not see I love you?"

"You--_love_--me!"

I caught her in my arms. A bright blush stained neck and face, and she
threw back her head, avoiding my lips.

[Illustration: She threw back her head, avoiding my lips.]

"Elsin, I beg you--I beg you to love me! Can you not see what you have
done to me?--how I am awakened?"

"Wait," she pleaded, resisting me, "wait, Carus. I--I am afraid----"

"Of love, sweetheart?"

"Wait," she panted--"give me time--till morning--then if I change
not--if my heart stirs again so loudly when you hold me--thus--and--and
crush me so close to you--so close--and promise to love me----"

"Elsin, Elsin, I love you!"

"Wait--wait, Carus!--my darling. Oh, you must not--kiss me--until you
know--what I am----"

Her face burned against mine; her eyes closed. Through the throbbing
silence her head drooped, lower, lower, yielding her mouth to mine;
then, with a cry she turned in my arms, twisting to her knees, and
dropped her head forward on the bed. And, as I bent beside her, she
gasped: "No--no--wait, Carus! I know myself! I know myself! Take your
lips from my hands--do not touch me! My brain has gone blind, I tell
you! Leave me to think--if I can----"

"I will not leave you here in tears. Elsin, Elsin, look at me!"

"The tears help me--help us both," she sobbed. "I know what I know.
Leave me--lest the very sky fall to crush us in our madness----"

I bent beside her, a new, fierce tenderness choking me; and at my touch
she straightened up, tear-stained face lifted, and flung both a