ever lead to anything at all; but I was happy meanwhile just to love
and be loved by him. I think when you're really in love, that's
quite enough. Jack never proposed to me: he never asked me to marry
him. He just sat by my bedside and held my hand; and once, when
Elsie went out to fetch my beef-tea, he stooped hastily down and
kissed, me, oh, so tenderly! I don't know why, but I wasn't the
least surprised. It seemed to me quite natural that Jack should kiss
me.

So I went idly on for a fortnight, in a sort of lazy lotus-land,
never thinking of the future, but as happy and as much at home as if
I'd lived all my life with Jack and Elsie. I hated even to think I
would soon be well; for then I'd have to go and look out for
Courtenay Ivor.

At last one afternoon I was sufficiently strong to be lifted out of
bed, and dressed in a morning robe, and laid out on the sofa in the
little drawing-room. It looked out upon the verandah, which was high
above the ground; and Jack came in and sat with me, alone without
Elsie. My heart throbbed high at that: I liked to be alone for
half-an-hour with Jack. Perhaps... But who knows? Well, at any rate,
even if he didn't, it was nice to have the chance of a good long,
quiet chat with him. I loved Elsie dearly; but at a moment like
this, why, I liked to have Jack all to myself without even Elsie.

So I was pleased when Jack told me Elsie was going into Palmyra with
the buggy to get the English letters. Then she'd be gone a good long
time! Oh, how lovely! How beautiful!

"Is there anything you'd like from the town?" he asked, as Elsie