from the
beginning of this, but I had no notion of letting my admiration go
farther, because I conceived that she was quite beyond my hopes."

"My dear fellow," said Lord Rivercourt, "you have relieved me and
delighted me immensely. I know no man that I would like so well for a
son-in-law. And after all, it is only fitting that the life you have
saved with such risk to yourself--oh, I know all about it--should be
devoted to making yours happy. And--and I understand from her mother
that Mary is quite of the same opinion herself. Now, will you go and
speak to her at once, or will you wait till another day? You will have
to decide that," said he, with a smile, "not only as lover, but as
doctor."

Lefevre hesitated for but an instant; for what true, manly lover would
have decided to withdraw till another day when the door to his mistress
was held open to him?

"I'll see her now," he said.

Lord Rivercourt led the doctor back to his daughter, and left him with
her. There were some moments of chilling doubt and cold uncertainty, and
then came a rush of warm feeling at the bidding of a shy glance from
Lady Mary. He bent over her and murmured he scarcely knew what, but he
heard clearly and with a divine ecstasy a softly-whispered "_Yes!_"
which thrilled in his heart for days and months afterwards, and then he
turned to him her face, her beautiful face illumined with love, and
kissed it: between two who had been drawn together as they had, what
words were needed, or what could poor words convey?

About an hour later he walked to Savile Row to dress and return for
dinner. He walked, because he felt surcharged with life. He desired
peace and goodwill among men; he pitied with all his soul the weary and
the broken whom he met, and wondered with regret that men should get
irremediably involved in the toils of their own misdeeds; he was profuse
with coppers, and even small silver, to the wretched waifs of society
who swept the crossings he had to take on his triumphant way; he would
even have bestowed forgiveness on his greatest enemy if he had met him
then;--for the divine joy of love was singing in his heart and raising
him to the serene and glorious empyrean of heroes and gods. Oh matchless
magic of the human heart, which confounds all the hypotheses of science,
and flouts all its explanations!

It was that evening when he and Lady Mary sat in sweet converse that she
said to him these words, which he hung for ever after abo