His passion carried her resistlessly away as the great waves sweep the

deck of a ship at sea. She was out in the ocean of love, far from all

else that was dear to her, far from all harbors save the mysterious one

to which his passion was piloting her through a storm of emotion.

"I have longed so to hold you in my arms, Beverly--even when you were a

princess and I lay in the hospital at Ganlook, my fevered arms hungered

for you. There never has been a moment that my heart has not been

reaching out in search of yours. You have glorified me, dearest, by the

promise you made a week ago. I know that you will not renounce that

precious pledge. It is in your eyes now--the eyes I shall worship to the

end of eternity. Tell me, though, with your own lips, your own voice,

that you will be my wife, mine to hold forever."

For answer she placed her arms about his neck and buried her face

against his shoulder. There were tears in her gray eyes and there was a

sob in her throat. He held her close to his breast for an eternity, it

seemed to both, neither giving voice to the song their hearts were

singing. There was no other world than the fairy grotto.

"Sweetheart, I am asking you to make a great sacrifice," he said at

last, his voice hoarse but tender. She looked up into his face

serenely. "Can you give up the joys, the wealth, the comforts of that

home across the sea to share a lowly cottage with me and my love? Wait,

dear,--do not speak until I am through. You must think of what your

friends will say. The love and life I offer you now will not be like

that which you always have known. It will be poverty and the dregs, not

riches and wine. It will be--"

But she placed her hand upon his lips, shaking her head

emphatically. The picture he was painting was the same one that she had

studied for days and days. Its every shadow was familiar to her, its

every unwholesome corner was as plain as day.

"The rest of the world may think what it likes, Paul," she said. "It

will make no difference to me. I have awakened from my dream. My dream

prince is gone, and I find that it's the real man that I love. What

would you have me do? Give you up because you are poor? Or would you

have me go up the ladder of fame and prosperity with you, a humble but

adoring burden? I know you, dear. You will not always be poor. They may

say what they like. I have thought long and well, because I am not a

fool. It is the American girl who marries the titled foreigner without

love that is a fool. Marrying a poor man is too serious a business to be

handled by fools. I have written to my father, telling him that I am

going to marry you," she announced. He gasped with unbelief.




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