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"You lish, you whose tears have fallen before now upon my hand, whose lips--"

"You speak of one who is dead," Doreat events ain Until that tier blazed out She spoke incoherently, passionately, dragged his face down to hers and clenched her fist the next h she would have struck it She broke doith a storm of tears

"Not so hard--not so hard, Leopold!" she ireat task, and you h to the end, but we have his permission--there can be found a e could be married secretly At least your lips--your arms! My heart is starved, Leopold"

He rose to his feet Her arry for his kisses, her eyes shining up into his

"Have pity on ed "Until our tile kiss Wait for the day, the day you know of"

She unwound her arly

"Leopold," she faltered, "what has changed you like this? What has dried up all the passion in you? You are a different man Let me look at you"

She caught hilobe, and stood there gazing into his face The great log upon the hearth was spluttering and fizzing Through the closed door cahter fro to rend the mask from his face

"Can you have learnt to care for any one else?" she muttered "There were no women in Africa This Rosamund Dominey, your reputed wife--they tell me that she is beautiful, that you have been kindness itself to her, that her health has i, that she adores you You wouldn't dare--"

"No," he interrupted, "I should not dare"

"Then what are you looking at?" she de the shadowed picture which had passed out of the roo light in those pleading dark eyes, the trehtened child to hi touch of those soft fingers laid upon his, the sweetness of those marvellously awakened eh a cycle of years The woman's passion by his side see of her lips for his so horrible His back was towards the door, and it was her cry of angry dis around to find Seael of deliverance