"What is it? I cannot guess."

"Did you not like to hear me say that--that I--loved you?"

"Ah, yes; you know it. But--oh!--do you wish to hear me say it?"

The head nodded rapidly two or three times: "Yes." And the black
curving lashes were lifted for a fleeting, luminous instant.

"It is surely not necessary; you have known it so long already, but I
am only too glad to say it. I love you."

She nestled closer to him and hid her face on his breast.

"Now that I have said it, what is my reward?" he asked--and the fair
face came up, red and rosy, with "rewards," any one of which was worth
a king's ransom.

"But this is worse than insanity," cried Brandon, as he almost pushed
her from him. "We can never belong to each other; never."

"No," said Mary, with a despairing shake of the head, as the tears
began to flow again; "no! never." And falling upon his knees, he
caught both her hands in his, sprang to his feet and ran from the
room.

Her words showed him the chasm anew. She saw the distance between them
even better than he. Evidently it seemed farther looking down than
looking up. There was nothing left now but flight.