I must tell you this--when I first came to
this spring here, I thought it held a beautiful secret for
me--something which had been in my life from everlasting. It was so,
and this was what it held for me."

The afternoon sped swiftly away, and the shadow of the western downs
fell across the pool. An immense and overpowering joy filled Howard's
heart, and the silent world took part in his ecstasy.

"You remember that first day?" said Maud. "I had felt that day as if
some one was coming to me from a long way off drawing nearer. . . . I
saw you drive up in the carriage, and I wondered if we should be
friends."

"Yes," said Howard, "it was you on the lawn--that was when I saw you
first!"

"And now we must go back and face the music," said Howard. "What do you
think? How shall we make it all known? I shall tell Aunt Anne to-night.
I shall be glad to do that, because there has fallen a veil between us.
Don't forget, dear child, how unutterably wretched and intolerable I
have been. She tried to help me out, but I was running with my head
down on the wrong track. Oh, what a miserable fool I was! That comes of
being so high-minded and superior. If you only knew how solemn I have
been! Why couldn't I just speak?"

"You might have spoken any time," said Maud. "Why, I would have walked
barefoot to Dorchester and back to please you! It does seem horrible to
think of our being apart all that time, out of such beautiful
consideration--and you were my own, my very own all the time, every
moment."

"I will come and tell your father to-morrow," said Howard presently.
"How will Master Jack take it? Will he call you Miss?"

"He may call me what he likes," said Maud. "I shan't get off easily."

"Well, we have an evening and a night and a morning for our secret,"
said Howard. "I wish it could be longer. I should like to go on for
ever like this, no one knowing but you and me."

"Do just as you like, my lord and master," said Maud.

"I won't have you talk like that," said Howard; "you don't know what
you give me. Was ever anyone in the world so happy before?"

"There's one person who is as happy," said Maud; "you can't guess what
I feel. Does it sound absurd to say that if you told me to stand still
while you cut me into little bits, I should enjoy it?"

"I won't forget that," said Howard; "anything to please you--you need
not mind mentioning any little wishes you may have of that kind."

They laughed like children, and when t