reaking up her natural reserve.

"It is as if I should never see you again," she said sadly when,
looking at his watch, he had exclaimed, "Time's up, my darling! I must
be off in five minutes from this. But I shall see you to-morrow," he
answered tenderly. "I shall come down in the morning, as I have done
to-day, and perhaps you will ride with me. We will go over some of the
old ground, where we used to go when I loved you and you did not think
you would ever love me. Ah, fairy that you are, how you have bewitched
me!"

"That will be good," said Learn, who did not resent it in him that she
was compared to a thing that did not exist, but adding with a piteous
look, "it is taking my life from me when you go."

"You lovely little darling! I don't like to see you look unhappy, but
I do delight to see how much you love me," said Edgar. "But you will
not have to part with me for very long now. I shall see you every day
till the time comes when we shall never be separated--never, never."

"Ah, that time!" she sighed. "It is far off."

He smiled, as his manner was, behind his beard, so that she did not
see it. "It shall not be far off," he said gravely. "And now," looking
again at his watch and then at the sky, "I must go."

The storm that had been threatening through the day was now gathering
to a head, and even as Edgar spoke the first flash came, the first
distant peal of thunder sounded, the first heavy raindrops fell. There
was evidently going to be a fearful tempest, and Edgar must leave now
at once if he would not be in the thick of it before he reached home.

"Yes," said Leam, noting the change in the sky, and unselfish always,
"you must go."

They rose and turned toward the house. Hand in hand they walked slowly
across the lawn and entered the drawing-room by the way of the window,
by the way by which she had entered twice before--once when she had
disclaimed madame, and once when she had welcomed Josephine.

Tears were in her eyes: her heart had failed her.

"It is like losing you for ever," she said again.

"No, not for ever--only till to-morrow," he answered.

"To-morrow! to-morrow!" she replied. "There will be no to-morrow."

"Yes, yes: in a very few hours we shall have come to that blessed
day," he said cheerfully. "Kiss me, darling, that I may carry away
your sweetest memory till I see you again. You will kiss me, Leam,
of your own free will to-night, will you not?" He said this a little
tremulousl