ought to
make the surprise more pleasant. I thought--but it is too late.
Only believe I had no other thought, no other wish. My poor scheme
seemed so harmless at first: then as the days went on I began to
doubt. But until you told me, as we stood beside the river, of--
_him_, I never guessed;--oh, believe me, I never guessed!"

"Love, do not accuse yourself in this way. It hurts me to hear you
speak so. If there was any fault it was mine; but the Fates blinded
us. If you had known Tom, you would know that he would forgive could
he hear us now. For me, Claire, what have I to pardon?"

Claire did not answer for a moment. There was still a trouble in her
face, as though something yet remained to be said and she had not the
courage to utter it.

"Jasper, there is something besides, which you have to pardon if you
can."

"My love!"

"Do you remember what I asked you that night, when you first told me
about _him_?"

"You asked me a foolish question, if I remember rightly. You asked
if I could ever cease to love you."

"No, not foolish; I really meant it seriously, and I believed you
when you answered me. Are you of the same mind now? Believe me, I
am not asking lightly."

"I answer you as I answered you then: 'Love is strong as death.'
My love, put away these thoughts and be sure that I love you as my
own soul."

"But perhaps, even so, you might be so angry that--Oh, Jasper, how
can I tell you?"

"Tell me all, Claire."

"I told you I was called, or that they called me Claire. Were you
not surprised when you saw my name as Clarissa Lambert?"

"Is that all?" I cried. "Why, of course, I knew how common it is for
actresses to take another name. I was even glad of it; for the name
I know, your own name, is now a secret, and all the sweeter so.
All the world admires Clarissa Lambert, but I alone love Claire
Luttrell, and know that Claire Luttrell loves me."

"But that is not all," she expostulated, whilst the trouble in her
eyes grew deeper. "Oh, why will you make it so hard for me to
explain? I never thought, when I told you so carelessly on that
night when we met for the first time, that you would grow to care for
me at all. And it was the same afterwards, when I introduced you to
my mother; I gave you the name Luttrell, without ever dreaming--"

"Was Luttrell not your mother's name?" I asked, perplexed.

"That is the name by which she is always called now; and I am always
called Claire; in