ver--I know that I shall have deserved
my fate. I dare not ask for anything from you, Cynthia, except your
forgiveness. May I hope to gain that?"

"If my father has forgiven you," she said a little hurriedly, "I cannot
do less."

There was a little silence. He bowed his head and touched with his lips
the slender fingers that rested lightly upon his own joined hands. He
felt that she trembled at the touch.

"What is to be my fate, Cynthia? I put my life into your hands. I owe it
to your father and to you."

"What do you want it to be?" she asked softly, but with an effort of
which he was profoundly conscious and ashamed.

"Oh, my love, my only love, you know what I desire!" he said, with
sudden passion; and for the first time he raised his head and looked
into her face. "I dare not ask--I am not worthy! If there is anything
that you can bear to say--to give me--you must do it of your own free
will; I cannot ask you for anything."

"But you know," said Cynthia, looking at him at last, and letting, the
gleam of a smile appear through the tears that filled her eyes, "a woman
likes to be asked."

And then, when their eyes had once met, their lips met too, and there
was no need for him to ask her anything.

But, when there was no longer any need, he found it easier to ask
questions.

"Cynthia, my darling, do you love me?"

"With my whole heart, Hubert!"

"And will you--will you really--be--my wife?"

"Yes, Hubert."

"And you forgive me? Oh, that is more wonderful than all! You bow me to
the earth with your goodness--you and your father, Cynthia! What can I
do to be worthy of it? He is going to give me his name as well as
yourself; and Heaven knows that I will do my best to keep it clean!"

His head sank on her bosom.

"Hubert," she said, "you must not talk in that way! Do you think that I
should ever be ashamed of your name, darling? It is just that my father
has no son, and does not want his old name to die out. If you will
sacrifice your name, instead of my sacrificing mine, as women generally
do, you will make him very happy and very proud of you. He wants a son,
and you will be as a son to him, Hubert darling, will you not?"

And so the treaty was ratified.

Hubert and Cynthia were married in three weeks; and the marriage turned
out an uncommonly happy one. Contrary to even Cynthia's expectations,
Westwood and his son-in-law became the very best of friends. Westwood
was proud of Hubert's literary kn