"But not your heart!" he said. He raised himself on his elbow again.
"For God's sake, don't tempt me! I--I am not strong enough to resist. I
want my diamonds so badly, you see, that I would stoop to stealing them.
Nell, don't tempt me!"

He sank back, and put his hand over his eyes as if to shut out the
beautiful face of the girl he loved.

Nell sank into a chair, and sat silent for a moment; then she said, in a
low voice:

"I want to tell you the truth."

He took his hand away from his eyes, and fixed them on her downcast
face.

"Go on," he said. "Tell me everything; why--why you have aroused a
hope--the dearest hope of my life----But no; it never was a hope, only a
hopeless longing. Ah! if you knew what such love meant, you would
forgive me for my weakness, for my cowardice. To long day and night! If
you knew!"

"Perhaps I do!" she whispered, in so low a voice that it was wonderful
he should have heard her. But he did hear, and he turned to her quickly.

"You! And I--I never guessed it! Oh, forgive me! forgive me! Then indeed
there never was any hope for me. I understand! How blind I have been!
Who----No; I've no right to ask. Now I understand the look in your eyes
which has often haunted and puzzled me. Oh, what a blind, blundering
fool I have been all this time!"

"Hush!" she said, still so low that he could only just hear the broken
murmur. "I--I am glad you did not know. I--I would not have told you
now, if--if it were not all past and done with!"

"Nell!" he said.

"Yes, it is all past and done with," she repeated. "And--and I want to
forget it. I want you--to help me! Oh! must I speak more plainly? Won't
you understand? If you will be content to take me--knowing what I have
told you--if you will be content to wait until I--I have quite
forgotten! and I shall soon, very soon----"

He stretched out his hand to her, an eager cry on his lips.

"Content!" he said. "You ask me if I shall be content!"

Then, as she put out her hand to meet his, he saw her face. It was white
to the lips, and there was a look in her eyes more full of agony than
his own had worn at his worst times. He let his hand fall on the bed.

"Is it all past?" he asked doubtfully.

She was about to speak the word "Yes," when a voice came from below
through the open window. It was Drake talking to Dick. The blood flew to
her face, her brows came together, and she shrank as if some one had
struck her.

Falconer, with his eyes