.
Washing up dirty cups makes me mind it less."

"You dear darling," Michael said. "I understand and Freddy knows."

"I'll tell the man where to drive to," Margaret said bravely. "Then we
can be together until I have to begin work." She raised the
speaking-tube to her lips and told the driver where to go, explaining
the most direct way to the secluded square, When she dropped the tube
and sank back into her seat Michael's arm was round her; she had felt
his eyes and their passion, gazing at her while she instructed the
driver.

"Will you marry me the day after to-morrow?" he said. "I'll get a
special licence. Let's start this little time of perfect happiness at
once, Meg--it may never come again."

Meg laughed nervously, but there was gladness in the sound of her
voice. "But, Mike, it's so sudden--the day after to-morrow!"

"So was our love, darling--don't you remember?" He paused. "Am I
asking too much? You might be my wife for less than two weeks,
beloved, remember that."

They looked into each other's eyes. Meg knew the meaning of his words;
he was a Tommy on leave.

"I can't go on having hairbreadth escapes to the end of the war," he
said. "Up to now I'm the mascot amongst the boys; I've had prodigious
luck."

Meg remained silent. Her heart was beating. His hair-breadth
escapes--what were they due to? She saw her vision of him in her
London bedroom, surrounded by the rays of Aton. She nursed the
knowledge of it in her heart--she dared not tell him.

"Over and over again, Meg, the most extraordinary things have happened.
I can't tell you them all now--they would sound like exaggerations, but
I'm almost beginning to agree with the boys that I've a charmed life."

Meg longed to confide her secret to him, but something held her back;
something said to her that he was not meant to know it, that if he knew
he might be tempted to do still more foolhardy deeds, he would feel
compelled to put her mystical message to the test. She remained
silent; her mind was working too quickly for speech. She had forgotten
that Michael wanted her answer. Her heart had given it so willingly
that words were scarcely needed, but he pressed her for her consent.
There are some words which lovers like to hear spoken by beautiful lips.

"You are the mistress of my happiness," he urged. "And if our
happiness in this world is to be condensed into twelve days, surely it
would be worth while seizing it and being thank