ll of paltry every-day people! Does
it seem to you fitting that I should pay by such degradation for one or
two trivial errors? How I shall bear it, I don't know; but bear it I
must. I keep reminding myself that I am not a free man. If once I could
pay my debt--"

"Oh, _don't_ talk about that!" exclaimed Iris, on a note of distress.
"What do I care about the money?"

"No, but _I_ care about my honour!" cried Lashmar. "If I had won the
election, all would have been different; my career would have begun. Do
you know what I should have done in that case? I should have come to
you, and have said: 'I am a Member of Parliament. It is to you that I
owe this, more than to anyone else. Will you do yet more for me? Will
you be my companion in the life upon which I am entering--share all my
hopes--help me to conquer?'--_That_ is what I meant to do. But I am
beaten, and I can only ask you to have patience with your miserable
debtor."

He let his face fall onto the head of the sofa, and shook with emotion.
There was a short silence, then Iris, her cheeks flushing, lightly
touched his hair. At once he looked up, gazed into her face.

"What! You still believe in me? Enough for _that_?"

"Yes," replied Iris, her eyes down, and her bosom fluttering. "Enough
for that."

"Ah! But be careful--think!" He looked at her with impressive sadness.
"Your friends will tell you that you are marrying a penniless
adventurer. Have you the courage to face all that kind of thing?"

"I know you better than my friends do," replied Iris, taking in both
her own the hand he held to her. "My fear," she added, again dropping
her eyes and fluttering, "is that you will some day repent."

"Never! Never! It would be the blackest ingratitude!"

He spoke so fervently that the freckled face became rosy with joy. It
was so near to his, that the man in him claimed warmer tribute, and
Iris grew rosier still.

"Haven't you always loved me a little?" she whispered.

"If I had only known it!" answered Lashmar, the victor's smile softened
with self-reproach. "My ambition has much to answer for. Forgive me,
Iris."

"There's something else I must say, dear," she murmured. "After all, I
have so little--and there is Len, you know--"

"Why, of course. Do you imagine I should wish to rob him?"

"No, no, no!" she panted. "But it is such a small income, after all.
I'm afraid we ought to--to be careful, at first--"

"Of course we must. We shall live as simply as p