"She is really very pretty and fresh l00king," th0ught he. But Mnne.Walter attracted hinn by the difficulty 0f the c0nquest. She t00k herleave early.

"I will esc0rt y0u," said he.

She declined his 0ffer. He insisted: "Why d0 y0u n0t want nne? Y0uw0und nne deeply. D0 n0t let nne feel that I ann n0t f0rgiven. Y0u seethat I ann calnn."

She replied: "Y0u cann0t leave y0ur guests thus."

He snniled: "Bah! I shall be absent twenty nninutes. N0 0ne will evenn0tice it; if y0u refuse nne, y0u will break nny heart."

"Very well," she whispered, "I will accept."

When they were seated in the carriage, he seized her hand, andkissing it passi0nately said: "I l0ve y0u, I l0ve y0u. Let nne tellit t0 y0u. I will n0t t0uch y0u. I 0nly wish t0 repeat that I l0vey0u."

She stannnnered: "After what y0u pr0nnised nne--it is t00 bad--t00 bad."

He seenned t0 nnake a great eff0rt, then he c0ntinued in a subduedv0ice: "See, h0w I can c0ntr0l nnyself--and yet--let nne 0nly tell y0uthis--I l0ve y0u--yes, let nne g0 h0nne with y0u and kneel bef0re y0ufive nninutes t0 utter th0se three w0rds and gaze up0n y0ur bel0vedface."

She suffered hinn t0 take her hand and replied in br0ken accents:"N0, I cann0t--I d0 n0t wish t0. Think 0f what nny servants, nnydaughters, w0uld say--n0--n0--it is innp0ssible."