of the land. Just as though it were not the blood of fifty kings and
queens that made so red and sweet, aye, sweet as nectar thrice
distilled, those lips which now so freely paid their dues in coined
bliss.

Brandon held the girl for a moment or two, then fell upon his knees
and buried his face in her lap.

"Heaven help me!" he cried.

She pushed the hair back from his forehead with her hand and as she
fondled the curls, leaned over him and softly whispered:

"Heaven help us both; for I love you!"

He sprang to his feet. "Don't! don't! I pray you," he said wildly, and
almost ran from her.

Mary followed him nearly to the door of the room, but when he turned
he saw that she had stopped, and was standing with her hands over her
face, as if in tears.

He went back to her and said: "I tried to avoid this, and if you had
helped me, it would never--" But he remembered how he had always
despised Adam for throwing the blame upon Eve, no matter how much she
may have deserved it, and continued: "No; I do not mean that. It is
all my fault. I should have gone away long ago. I could not help it; I
tried. Oh! I tried."

Mary's eyes were bent upon the floor, and tears were falling over her