at least think that you will use my uncle's legacy as my widow."
"No, not that," she said. "Never that."
"What then?" I said. "What else, my angel? What are words to me? There is but one name that I care to know you by. Flora, my love!"
"Anne!" she said.
What sound is so fall of music as one's own name uttered for the first time in the voice of her we love?
"My darling!" said I.
The jealous bars, set at the top and bottom in stone and lime, obstructed the rapture of the moment; but I took her to myself as wholly as they allowed. She did not shun my lips. My arms were wound round her body, which yielded itself generously to my embrace. As we so remained, entwined and yet severed, bruising our faces unconsciously on the cold bars, the irony of the universe—or as I prefer to say, envy of some of the gods—again stirred up the elements of that stormy night. The wind blew again in the tree-tops; a volley of cold sea-rain deluged the garden, and, as the deuce would have it, a gutter which had been hitherto choked up, began suddenly to play upon my head and shoulders with the vivacity of a fountain. We parted with a shock; I sprang to my feet, and she to hers, as though we had been discovered. A moment after, but now both standing, we had again approached the window on either side.
"Flora," I said, "this is but a poor offer I can make you."
She took my hand in hers and clasped it to her bosom.
"Rich enough for a queen!" she said, with a lift in her breathing that was more eloquent than words. "Anne, my brave Anne! I would be glad to be your maidservant; I could envy that boy Rowley. But, no!" she broke off, "I envy no one—I need not—I am yours."
