ve one long, horrified gasp.

"Andor! How can you?"

"It has been borne upon me, Elsa, these hours past, that I am a coward
and a villain to let you go on with this miserable life. Nay! it's worse
than that, for your future life with that bully, that brute, will be far
more wretched than you have any idea now. He doesn't care for you,
Elsa--not really--not as I care for you, not as you--the sweetest,
gentlest, purest woman in the world--should be cared for and cherished.
He doesn't love you, Elsa, he doesn't even really want you--not as I
want you--I, who would give my life, every drop of my blood, to have you
for myself alone!"

Gradually, as he spoke, his arms had clasped round her, his passionate
whispers came in short gasps to her ear. Gently now she disengaged
herself.

"But I am tokened to Bela, Andor," she said gently. "To-morrow is my
wedding day. I have made my confession. Pater Bonifacius has prepared me
for Holy Communion. My word is pledged to Bela."

"He doesn't love you, Elsa, and he is not your husband yet. Your pledged
word does not bind you before God. To-day you are still free. You are
free until you have sworn before the altar of God. Elsa! Bela doesn't
want you, he doesn't love you. And I love you and want you with my
whole heart and soul."

"Don't speak like that, Andor, don't," she almost pleaded. "You must
know how wrong it is for you to speak and for me to listen."

"But I must speak, Elsa," he urged, "and you have got to listen. We
could get away now, Elsa, to-night, by the nine-twenty train. Over at
the barn no one would know that you had gone until it got too late to
run after you. Never mind about your clothes. I have plenty of money in
my pocket, and to-morrow when we get to Budapesth we can get what you
want. By the next day we should be in Fiume, and then we would embark on
the first ship that is outward bound. I know just how to manage, Elsa.
You would have nothing to do, nothing to think of, but just give
yourself over into my keeping. You are a free woman, Elsa, bound to no
one, and the first opportunity we had we would get married. Out there in
Australia I can get plenty of work and good pay: we shouldn't be rich,
Elsa--not as rich as you would be if you married Eros Bela, but by God I
swear that we would be happy, for every minute of my life would be
devoted to your happiness."

All the while that he spoke she had made persistent efforts to disengage
herself from his grasp.