d others before you. Whereas I--I have thought of no one else
all my life!'

'Why, I have heard differently, Anthony,' she interposed, with a smile
that was a vain effort to temper the intensity of his mood.

He stamped with his spurred heel upon a fallen flower.

'I don't pretend to be a saint; I am what other men are. You see I do
not deceive you even now. But give me the chance and I will prove to you
that the Unziars can be faithful. Valerie, give me your love! For God's
sake don't say you cannot! Give me your love!'

'Anthony!'

It almost shocked her to see Unziar--cold and cynical Unziar--pleading
as a man pleads for escape from death, with a terrible self-abandonment.

'Wait! Tell me this. Did you choose von Elmur?'

'My--we--it has nothing to do with that kind of thing.'

'I thought not! Then you will sacrifice yourself for an idea? You shall
not!'

'Anthony, you are very good to me--you have always been. I know that if
I felt for you as you wish me to feel, then you could help me. But I
don't! As long as I can remember you have been my playfellow, my
brother; but not more--never this! Anthony, I love you, but not--but
not--You have been so honest with me that whatever it costs I must be
honest with you. I can never do as you wish!'

Unziar listened rather to some far-off tide of thought, as it seemed,
than to her words--thoughts that flowed in upon him and quenched hope.

'You do not love me; Elmur is beside the mark--beside the question of
love--altogether. Then, Valerie, whom do you love?'

She gave him a frightened glance, and drew in her breath as one who
parries a blow.

'There is no one'; then, added more firmly, 'You are mistaken--there is
no one.'

'If that be so,' responded the young man sullenly, 'then my chance is as
good as another's. I shall not give up hope! Remember that. But I have
thought that Rallywood----'

Valerie recalled the coldness of the averted grey eyes, and the memory
stung her.

'He hates me,' she replied with a haughty smile, 'as I hate him!'

'Rallywood hates you?' he repeated in angry astonishment.

'Yes; but whatever he may feel for me I return in full!'

'Valerie, then you love no one? Say it again.'

The jingle of spur and scabbard came through the flower-hung spaces, and
Rallywood passed within a few feet of them. He was whistling softly as
he walked along with an easy swing of his strong shoulders.

'I love----' Valerie began, and stopped short, for