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'Youare not angry with me?' Sanin articulated at last

It would have been difficult for Sanin to have said anything more foolish than these wordshe was conscious of it hiry?' she answered 'What for? No'

'And you believe me?' he went on

'In what you wrote?'

'Yes'

Ge The parasol slipped out of her hands She hastily caught it before it dropped on the path

'Ah, believe me! believe what I wrote to you!' cried Sanin; all his timidity suddenly vanished, he spoke with heat; 'if there is truth on earth--sacred, absolute truth--it's that I love, love you passionately, Geain almost dropped the parasol

'Believe ht her, held out his hands to her, and did not dare to touch her 'What do you want ain

'Tell an; 'the day before yesterday, when you caine, know thendid not feel '

'I felt it,' Sanin broke in; 'but I did not know it I have loved you from the very instant I saw you; but I did not realise at once what you had become to me! And besides, I heard that you were solemnly betrothed As far as your mother's request is concerned--in the first place, how could I refuse?--and secondly, I think I carried out her request in such a way that you could guess'

They heard a heavy tread, and a rather stout gentlener, e, with the uncerearden-seat, gave a loud cough and went on

'Your an, as soon as the sound of the heavy footsteps had ceased, 'told ement would cause a scandal'--Gemma frowned a little--that I was ossip, and thatconsequentlyI was, to soation to advise you not to break with your betrothed, Herr Klüber'

'Monsieur Dimitri,' said Gemma, and she passed her hand over her hair on the side turned towards Sanin, 'don't, please, call Herr Klüber my betrothed I shall never be his wife I have broken with him'

'You have broken with him? when?'