met you! I never really cared about life until now."

"I have always cared about it, but never like this," confessed Tommy.
"You see, I have always been alone, ever since I grew up."

"And I! How wonderful of Fate to bring us together! And will you let
me cable to the churches that you cannot come home just yet?"

"You think I'd better not go--so soon?"

"Without me? Never! You shall go anywhere you like, any time you like,
so long as you take me with you. We'll settle all those things
to-morrow--the blessedest day that ever dawned, that's what to-morrow
will be! Couldn't you marry me to-morrow, Tommy?"

"Certainly not! At any rate--not in the morning!" said Tommy
mischievously, withdrawing her hand and moving out of the danger
zone.

"And you must remember that your talent is your own, to use as you
like!" Appleton continued after a well-filled pause. "Your voice is a
unique and precious gift. I'll try not to be selfish with it, or
jealous of it, though if it had half the effect on other men that it
has upon me, the floor would be strewn with broken hearts every time
you sing!"--and he hummed under his breath:

"I hardly know, my darling,
What mostly took my heart,
Unless perhaps your singing
Has done the greater part."

"Oh, you dear absurdity!" said Tommy, twinkling and sparkling
enchantingly.--"I wish the waiter wouldn't come in every time I want
to say something especially private!"

"'Confound his politics, frustrate his knavish tricks,' but we shall
soon be out of his reach, spinning along to the palace."

"Are we going there? Oh! I shall be afraid to tell the bishop and Mrs.
Kennion!"

"You needn't be. I told Mrs. Kennion this afternoon that I loved you
to distraction. If the bishop is back from Bath, she'll have passed on
the information by now."

"I was just going to say, when the waiter came so near, that it isn't
the public I love, it's the singing! Just to sing and sing, that's
what I long to do!"

"And what you shall do, so help me! You know you wanted me to find a
new name for you? Wasn't I clever to think of Appleton?"

"Very! And you're kindly freeing me of half of my 'bizarre
Americanism,' as my Torquay correspondent called it. How shall we deal
with Thomasina?"

"We'll call her Tommy. A darling, kissable little name, Tommy!--No,
I'm not going to do anything!"

"You don't think it's cowardly o