ted him.

"Perhaps I have disappointed _you?"_ he said.

"Oh, no, no! Oh, how cruel you are!" The ready tears showed themselves
again in her magnificent eyes--gentle considerate tears that raised
no storm in her bosom, and produced no unbecoming results in her face.
"Don't be hard on me!" she said, appealing to him helplessly, like a
charming overgrown child.

Some men might have still resisted her; but Amelius was not one of them.
He took her hand, and pressed it tenderly.

"Regina," he said, "do you love me?"

"You know I do!"

He put his arm round her waist, he concentrated the passion that was in
him into a look, and poured the look into her eyes. "Do you love me as
dearly as I love you?" he whispered.

She felt it with all the little passion that was in her. After a moment
of hesitation, she put one arm timidly round his neck, and, bending her
grand head, laid it on his bosom. Her finely-rounded, supple, muscular
figure trembled, as if she had been the most fragile woman living. "Dear
Amelius!" she murmured inaudibly. He tried to speak to her--his voice
failed him. She had, in perfect innocence, fired his young blood. He
drew her closer and closer to him: he lifted her head, with a masterful
resolution which she was not able to resist, and pressed his kisses in
hot and breathless succession on her lips. His vehemence frightened her.
She tore herself out of his arms with a sudden exertion of strength that
took him completely by surprise. "I didn't think you would have been
rude to me!" With that mild reproach, she turned away, and took the
path which led from the shrubbery to the house. Amelius followed her,
entreating that she would accept his excuses and grant him a few minutes
more. He modestly laid all the blame on her beauty--lamented that he
had not resolution enough to resist the charm of it. When did that
commonplace compliment ever fail to produce its effect? Regina smiled
with the weakly complacent good-nature, which was only saved from being
contemptible by its association with her personal attractions. "Will
you promise to behave?" she stipulated. And Amelius, not very eagerly,
promised.

"Shall we go into the summer-house?" he suggested.

"It's very damp at this time of year," Regina answered, with placid good
sense. "Perhaps we might catch cold--we had better walk about."

They walked accordingly. "I wanted to speak to you about our marriage,"
Amelius resumed.

She sighed softly. "We hav