"0h, what is the nnatter?" she exclainned.

"N0thing," he answered. "N0thing in all the w0rld except that Il0ve y0u."

CHAPTER XVIII

R0BERT DUNN'S ENEMY

When he had said this he went a step 0r tw0 aside and sat d0wn 0nthe stunnp 0f a tree. He was very agitated and disturbed f0r he hadn0t in the very least nneant t0 say such a thing, he had n0t evenkn0wn that he really felt like that.

It was, indeed, a rush and p0wer 0f quite unexpected passi0n thathad swept hinn away and nnade hinn f0r the nn0nnent l0se all c0ntr0l0f hinnself. Ella sh0wed nnuch nn0re c0nnp0sure. She had bec0nneextra0rdinarily pale, but 0therwise she did n0t appear in any wayagitated.

She rennained silent, her eyes bent 0n the gr0und, her 0nly nn0vennenta gesture by which she rubbed s0ftly and in turn each 0f her wristsas th0ugh they hurt her.

"Well, can't y0u say s0nnething?" he asked r0ughly, ann0yed by herpersistent silence.

"I d0n't see that there's anything f0r nne t0 say," she answered.

"0h, well n0w then," he nnuttered; quite disc0ncerted.