, she did not move, but she spoke in a whisper.

"His Holiness the Pope had consented to our marriage. What would I not
have done for you?"

The Chevalier stooped over her and took her hand. The hand remained
inert in his.

"Maria!"

"Would that I were poor! Would that I were powerless! But I am rich--so
rich. I could have done so much. I am alone--so much alone. What would I
not have done for you?"

"Maria!"

His voice choked upon the word, his lips touched her hair, and she
shivered from head to foot. Then her hand tightened fast upon his; she
drew him down almost fiercely until he sank upon his knees by her side;
she put an arm about his shoulder and held him to her breast.

"But you love me," she said quickly. "Tell me so! Say, 'I love you, I
love you, I love you.' Oh that we both could die, you saying it, I
hearing it,--die to-night, like this, my arm about you, your face
against my heart! My lord, my lord!" and then she flung him from her,
holding him at arm's length. "Say it with your eyes on mine! I can see
though the tears fall. I shall never hear the words again after
to-night. Do not stint me of them; let them flow just as these tears
flow. They will leave no more trace than do my tears."

"Maria, I love you," said the Chevalier. "How I do love you!" He took
her hands from his shoulders and pressed his forehead upon them. She
leaned forward, and in a voice so low it seemed her heart was
whispering, not her mouth, she made her prayer.

"Say that you have no room in your thoughts except for me. Say that you
have no scrap of love--" He dropped her hands and drew away; she caught
him to her. "No, no! Say that you have no scrap of love to toss to the
woman there in Innspruck!"

"Maria!" he exclaimed.

"Hush!" said she, with a woful smile. "To-morrow you shall love her;
to-morrow I will not ask your eyes to dwell on mine or your hand to
quiver as it touches mine. But to-night love no one but me."

For answer he kissed her on the lips. She took his head between her
hands and gave the kiss back, gently as though her lips feared to bruise
his, slowly as though this one moment must content her for all her life.
Then she looked at him for a little, and with a childish movement that
was infinitely sad she laid his face side by side with hers so that his
cheek touched hers.

"Shall I tell you my thought?" she asked. "Shall I dare to tell you it?"

"Tell it me!"

"God has died to-night. Hush! Do not mov