aven, or heaven to itself, as ask me if I will be true to you. You are
my life--a man is not false to his own life. You are soul of my soul--no
man betrays his soul! It would be easier for me to die than be false to
you, my love."

The passionate words reassured her--something of hope came over the
beautiful face.

"Lance," she said, "do you remember the mill-wheel and how the water
used to sing the words of the song?"

"Yes, I remember it; but those will never come true over us, Leone,
never. I shall never break my vows or you yours."

"No; yet how the water sung it over and over again:

"'Those vows were all forgotten,
The ring asunder broke.'

I can hear it now, Lance. It seems to me the wind is repeating it."

"It is only your fancy, my darling," he said.

But she went on:

"'I would the grave would hide me,
For there alone is peace.'

Ah, Lance, my love--Lance, will it happen to either of us to find peace
in the grave?"

"No, we shall find peace in life first," he said.

She laid her hand on his arm.

"Lance," she said, "I had a terrible dream last night. I could not sleep
for many hours. When at last my eyes closed I found myself by the old
mill stream. I thought that I had been driven there by some pain too
great for words, and I flung myself into the stream. Oh, Lance, my
love--Lance, I felt myself drowning. I felt my body floating, then
sinking. My hair caught in the bending branches of a tree. The water
filled my eyes and my ears. I died. In my sleep I went through all the
pain of death. My last thought was of you. 'Lance,' I cried, in death as
in life, 'Lance, come back to me in death!' It was a horrible dream, was
it not? Do you think it will ever come true?"

"No," he replied; but his handsome face had grown paler, and the shadows
of deep trouble lay in his eyes.

She raised her face to his again.

"Lance," she asked gently, "do you think that any creature--any one has
ever loved another as well as I love you? I often wonder about it. I see
wives happy and contented, and I wonder if their husbands' smiles make
heaven to them as yours do to me."

"I do not think there are many people capable of loving as you do,
Leone," he replied, "and now, my darling, I must leave you. Leone, spend
all your time in study. A few months more of work as hard as the last
three months, and my beautiful wife will be as accomplished as she is
graceful. Study will help you to pass away the ti