ed, hurriedly,
but Judith answered nothing. She still stood in front of the deep
hearth. "Come, come, Judith, girl," cried her father, "surely you need
no introduction to Cecil Lindley?"

"No, surely I know my cousin well." The girl's voice fell soft and
full of singing notes as a meadow lark's. "But I think he questions if
he knows me."

Her brown eyes were on a level with his, and he was remembering at
that instant that Johan had said Mistress Judith's lips would be level
with his. Ay, they were level with his, and they were near his, too,
for she had come straight to him and given him both her hands.

"Judith!"

That was all he said, and it seemed to the girl that he drew back,
away from her. And possibly he did, for he knew that he must not draw
her close, not yet, oh, not yet, anyway.

And after he had spoken that one word, after he had said her name, he
seemed to find no words to offer her, and she looked for none. He
still held her hands, however, and she still looked straight and deep
into his eyes.

Once the red line of her mouth widened into a smile, once it twisted
into a mutinous knot. But she would not speak, nor would she help him
to find words.

Master Ogilvie and Marmaduke Bass had passed into the room behind the
hearth. The girl and the man were alone.

"You are as familiar to me as my own self, Judith," he said at last.
"It seems to me that I have known you always, that we have never been
apart."

"And even to me, we seem not quite strangers," answered the soft,
singing voice that held the meadow lark's notes.

"You wrote me that love lay all in the chance of meeting, Judith!" The
man's voice was tremulous with desire.

"Ay, so I believe it does," she answered, her eyes falling for an
instant before his.

"You said that you might meet me and find me the man of your heart's
desire, Judith."

"Well, if love lies in chance, why might I not chance to love you?"
Her words were brave, her eyes were again steady, were again deep in
his, but the red line of her mouth was tremulous.

"When will you know, when will you tell me that I am the man of your
heart's desire, Judith? I--I love you, Judith."

"Must I tell you unasked? Might you not ask me now and see?"

Her white lids drooped over her tawny eyes, and just for an instant
the red lips that were level with his met his.

But suddenly the girl drew back, withdrew her hands from his. She had
not meant to yield so easily. She had not mea