at home as Nelson with the girl I love best--the one who knows how I came
to call myself that. Will you make up a name for me, and begin to get
used to it to-day? I'd like it if you could."

"May I call you 'Knight'?" Annesley asked, shyly. "I've named you my
knight already in my mind and--and heart."

He looked at her with rather a beautiful look: clear and wistful, even
remorseful.

"It's too noble a name," he said. "Still--if you like it, I shall. Maybe
it will make me good. Jove! it would take something strong to do that!
But who knows? From now on I'm your 'Knight.' You needn't wrestle with
'Nelson' except when we're with strangers.

"And--look here!" he broke off. "I've another favour to ask. Better get
them all over at once--the big ones that are hard to grant. You reminded
me last night that we wouldn't be legally married if I didn't use my own
name. That may be true. I can't very well make inquiries. But just in
case, I'm giving my real name and shall sign it in a register. That's why
our marriage must be quietly performed in a quiet place. It shall be in
church, because I know you wouldn't feel married if it wasn't, but it
must be in a church where nobody we're likely to meet ever goes; and the
parson must be one we won't stand a chance of knocking up against later.

"Managed the way I shall manage it, there'll be no difficulty. Mr. and
Mrs. Blank will walk out of the vestry after they've signed their names,
and--_lose themselves_. No reason why they should ever be associated with
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Smith. Do you much mind all these complications?"