By Berwen Banks

"Back!" she said, holding up her hand as if to keep him away; "not a

step nearer. And what if I am Valmai? What is she to you after all

these months of cruel neglect?"

Cardo stood still. Was this the meeting he had pictured to himself a

thousand times? Had her troubles unhinged her mind? Was she

distraught?

"What is it, Valmai, my darling, that has changed you so? What is that

cold, haughty look on your face? I am Cardo, dearest--your own Cardo!

come back to explain everything to you, and to clasp you in his loving

arms," and again he approached as if to embrace her.

"Stand back," said Gwladys once more. "If you come a step nearer, I

will call for help from the house."

"No, no," said Cardo, "do not do that. I will obey you, dearest; but

tell me what is the meaning of this change in you? Oh, Valmai! has

your love indeed perished? Have you forgotten the happy past, the

walks by the Berwen, the fortnight at Fordsea? I have been ill,

dearest--have lain unconscious for months in a hospital; but I swear

that, from the moment I left you until now, every conscious thought,

every fibre of my being, every chord of memory has been faithful to

you, and to you alone! Come and sit on this bench. Five minutes will

explain all to you, and I will not believe that my Valmai can have

become the cold and heartless girl you seem to be."

But Gwladys continued standing, and looking at him with eyes in which

scorn and contempt were but too plainly visible.

"Good heavens, Valmai!" said Cardo, with clenched hands, the cold sweat

breaking out on his face; "do you remember it is a man's very soul you

are trifling with? Do you know what a man's heart is? what his love

means--such love as mine?"

"Such love as yours!" said Gwladys coldly. "Such love, indeed! that

could lead an innocent girl into the path of deceit and dishonour; that

could leave her then to bear desertion and the cold scorn of the world,

alone and friendless; and now to return, and expect to find her

unchanged and still blinded to the truth!"

"Valmai!" said Cardo, his hot Welsh blood suffusing his dark face with

passion, "you could never have loved me. Do the strong bonds that

united us count for nothing? Does that little green mound in the

churchyard count for nothing? No! you never could have loved me; and

yet--you did!"

"If I ever did," said Gwladys, "the love is dead. I feel no more

interest in you now than I do in yonder ploughman."

"Girl, you are my wife," said Cardo, who was trembling with a mixture

of anger and wounded love. "You are mine by every law of God and man,

and I will not let you go." Then suddenly changing into a tone of

excited entreaty, he said, "Come, darling, trust me once more, and I

will bring back the light of love into those frozen eyes, and I will

kiss back warmth into those haughty lips."