in my heart? Why does
the world think that a woman must never speak, no matter if she ruins
two lives by her silence? You told me that you loved me, although you
did not ask me if I returned your affection; but I knew that my life
would be ruined if I did not make you understand it. I do love you,
Wallace, and I will not be ashamed because I have told you of it."

The young man was deeply moved by this frank, artless confession. He
knew there was not a grain of indelicacy or boldness in it; it was
simply a truthful expression of a pure and noble nature, the spontaneous
outburst of a holy affection responding to the sacred love of his own
heart, and the avowal aroused a profound reverence for an ingenuousness
that was as rare as it was perfect.

He bent down and touched his lips to her silken hair.

"There is no occasion," he said, earnestly, "and you have changed all my
life, my dear one, by adopting such a straightforward course. Still," he
added, with a slight smile, "I did not come here intending to tell you
just this, or with the hope that our interview would result in such open
confessions."

"Did you not?" Violet asked, quickly, and darting a startling look at
him.

"No, love; nay, rest content just where you are," he said, as she would
have withdrawn herself from his encircling arms, "for you may be very
sure I shall never give you up after this; but your letter must be
answered in some way; I knew that we must come to some final
understanding, and though truth would not allow me to disavow my love
for you, yet I wished you to realize fully that I would not presume to
take advantage of anything which you might have written upon the impulse
of the moment. I would not claim any promise of you which you might
regret when you should come to think of it more calmly; while, too, I
wished to assure myself that your friends would sanction your decision,
and absolve me from any desire to take a dishonorable advantage of you.
I would win you fairly, my Violet, or not at all."

Violet flushed at this.

"Did you expect to obtain the sanction of my sister or her husband
to--to our engagement?" she asked.

"I did not come expecting to gain anything that I wanted," Wallace
returned, smiling, "for I had resolved not to take you at your word
until I had assured myself that you fully understood all that it would
involve; then, of course, I knew that the proper thing for me to do
would be to ask their consent to our betro