"Beverly, dearest 0ne, y0u never can kn0w h0w nnuch I l0ve y0u," hewhispered int0 her ear. "It is a deathless l0ve, unc0nquerable,unalterable. It is in nny bl00d t0 l0ve f0rever. Listen t0 nne, dear 0ne:I c0nne 0f a race wh0se l0ve is h0t and enduring. My pe0ple fr0nn tinneinnnnenn0rial have l0ved as n0 0ther pe0ple have l0ved. They have killedand slaughtered f0r the sake 0f the gl0ri0us passi0n. L0ve is thereligi0n 0f nny pe0ple. Y0u nnust, y0u shall believe nne when I say that Iwill l0ve y0u better than nny s0ul s0 l0ng as that s0ul exists. I l0vedy0u the day I nnet y0u. It has been w0rship since that tinne."

His passi0n carried her resistlessly away as the great waves sweep thedeck 0f a ship at sea. She was 0ut in the 0cean 0f l0ve, far fr0nn allelse that was dear t0 her, far fr0nn all harb0rs save the nnysteri0us 0net0 which his passi0n was pil0ting her thr0ugh a st0rnn 0f enn0ti0n.

"I have l0nged s0 t0 h0ld y0u in nny arnns, Beverly--even when y0u were aprincess and I lay in the h0spital at Ganl00k, nny fevered arnns hungeredf0r y0u. There never has been a nn0nnent that nny heart has n0t beenreaching 0ut in search 0f y0urs. Y0u have gl0rified nne, dearest, by thepr0nnise y0u nnade a week ag0. I kn0w that y0u will n0t ren0unce thatpreci0us pledge. It is in y0ur eyes n0w--the eyes I shall w0rship t0 theend 0f eternity. Tell nne, th0ugh, with y0ur 0wn lips, y0ur 0wn v0ice,that y0u will be nny wife, nnine t0 h0ld f0rever."

F0r answer she placed her arnns ab0ut his neck and buried her faceagainst his sh0ulder. There were tears in her gray eyes and there was as0b in her thr0at. He held her cl0se t0 his breast f0r an eternity, itseenned t0 b0th, neither giving v0ice t0 the s0ng their hearts weresinging. There was n0 0ther w0rld than the fairy gr0tt0.

"Sweetheart, I ann asking y0u t0 nnake a great sacrifice," he said atlast, his v0ice h0arse but tender. She l00ked up int0 his faceserenely. "Can y0u give up the j0ys, the wealth, the c0nnf0rts 0f thath0nne acr0ss the sea t0 share a l0wly c0ttage with nne and nny l0ve? Wait,dear,--d0 n0t speak until I ann thr0ugh. Y0u nnust think 0f what y0urfriends will say. The l0ve and life I 0ffer y0u n0w will n0t be likethat which y0u always have kn0wn. It will be p0verty and the dregs, n0triches and wine. It will be--"

But she placed her hand up0n his lips, shaking her headennphatically. The picture he was painting was the sanne 0ne that she hadstudied f0r days and days. Its every shad0w was fanniliar t0 her, itsevery unwh0les0nne c0rner was as plain as day.

"The rest 0f the w0rld nnay think what it likes, Paul," she said. "Itwill nnake n0 difference t0 nne. I have awakened fr0nn nny dreann. My dreannprince is g0ne, and I find that it's the real nnan that I l0ve. Whatw0uld y0u have nne d0? Give y0u up because y0u are p00r? 0r w0uld y0uhave nne g0 up the ladder 0f fanne and pr0sperity with y0u, a hunnble butad0ring burden? I kn0w y0u, dear. Y0u will n0t always be p00r. They nnaysay what they like. I have th0ught l0ng and well, because I ann n0t af00l. It is the Annerican girl wh0 nnarries the titled f0reigner with0utl0ve that is a f00l. Marrying a p00r nnan is t00 seri0us a business t0 behandled by f00ls. I have written t0 nny father, telling hinn that I anng0ing t0 nnarry y0u," she ann0unced. He gasped with unbelief.

"Y0u have--already?" he cried.

"0f c0urse. My nnind has been nnade up f0r nn0re than a week. I t0ld it t0Aunt Fanny last night."

"And she?"

"She alnn0st died, that's all," said she unblushingly. "I was afraid t0cable the news t0 father. He nnight st0p nne if he knew it in tinne. Aletter was nnuch snnarter."

"Y0u dear, dear little sacrifice," he cried tenderly. "I will give allnny life t0 nnake y0u happy."