"Never mind; let's be absurd for once. There will be no one there so soon as this. I shall go; you can stay away if you like." With a quiet, disdainful look, Marie followed her sister, and carelessly began with her threading the devious course through the quaint old labyrinth. "How ridiculous of you, Clo!" she said at last. "There is not a breath of air, and it is growing terribly hot. Come back, there is someone here." "Very well; come back, then," said Clotilde. "This way, Rie." "No; that is not the path." "Yes it is. I'm sure it is; and--oh, how strange! Here are those two." Marie's cheeks crimsoned as she found that they had come suddenly upon the two officers. That it was a planned thing she was sure; but this was not the time to resent it, and she returned the salutations with which she was greeted, making up her mind that she would keep close to Clotilde the whole time, and prevent a _tete-a-tete_. But such a determination would have been difficult to carry out in the gardens, when three people were arrayed dead against her. In a maze it was simply impossible; and the guide was not there. She never knew how or when they were separated, but all at once she and Dick were on one side of a hedge, and Clotilde and Glen on the other, and when the boy laughingly tried to put matters right, he did it so cleverly that they were soon two hedges separate; then three, and likely to be four; by which time, forgetful of all his scrupulous feelings, and Clotilde's want of perfection in his eyes, Glen had clasped her to his heart with a deep, low "My darling, at last!" "Oh, no, no, no, Marcus," she sobbed, as she gently thrust him away, and then clung to his arm, gazing piteously up at him the while. "You must not. I ought not to let you. I feel so wicked and despairing I hardly care to live." "But why, my darling--my beautiful darling?" he whispered passionately, contenting himself now with holding her hands. "Because this is so wrong. My aunts would never forgive me if they knew." "That is what I want to speak about, dearest," he said, in a low voice, as he drew her arm through his and they walked on. "May I speak to them? Let me call and ask their permission to come freely and openly to the apartments. I am only a poor suitor, Clotilde--only a captain of cavalry, with very little beside his pay; but you will not despise me for that?" "For what?" she cried innocently, as she gazed up into his face. "For my want of money," he said, smiling down, and longing to clasp her once more in his arms. "I hardly know what money is," she said quietly. "We have never had any; so why should I care for that?" "Then I may speak?" he whispered. "I may be better off by-and-by, and we can wait." "Oh yes, we could wait," sighed Clotilde. "But no--no--no, it is madness! I ought not to talk like this. I've been very weak and foolish, and I don't know what you must think of me."