"No," said Margaret tenderly. "I know--I quite understand your sensation. You don't feel it simply because you feel it too much--you are slightly stunned." "Yes, you're right--we'll not talk about it any more. Let us stay here for a little while." "Tell me over again the preparations for your coming of age." Margaret seated herself on the grass as she spoke. Her white dress--her slim young figure--a sort of spiritual light in her dark eyes, gave her at that moment an unearthly radiance in the eyes of the man who loved her. All of a sudden, with an impulse he could not withstand, he resolved to put his fortunes to the test. "Forgive me," he said, emotion trembling in his voice--"I can only speak of one thing at this moment." He dropped lightly on one knee beside her. She did not ask him what it was. She looked down. "You know perfectly well what I am going to say," he continued; "you know what I want most when I come of age--I want my wife--I want you. Margaret, you must have guessed my secret long ago?" She did not answer him for nearly a minute--then she softly and timidly stretched out one of her hands--he grasped it in his. "You have guessed--you do know--you're not astonished nor shocked at my words?" "Your secret was mine, too," she answered in a whisper. "You will marry me, Margaret--you'll make me the happiest of men?" "I will be your wife if you wish it, Robert," she replied. She stood up as she spoke. She was tall, but he was a little taller--he put his arms round her, drew her close to him, and kissed her passionately. Half-an-hour afterward they left the woods side by side. "Don't tell anybody to-day," said Margaret. "Why not? I don't feel as if I could keep it to myself even for an hour longer." "Still, humor me, Robert; remember I am superstitious." "What about?" "I am ashamed to confess it--I would rather that our engagement was not known until the day of the murder has gone by." CHAPTER V. Margaret Douglas lived with her cousins, the Cuthberts. Sir John Cuthbert was the Squire of a parish at a little distance from Grandcourt. He was a wealthy man and was much thought of in his neighborhood. Margaret was the daughter of a sister who had died many years ago--she was poor, but this fact did not prevent the county assigning her a long time ago to Robert Awdrey as his future wife. The attachment between the pair had been the growth of years. They had spent their holidays together, and had grown up to a great extent in each other's company--it had never entered into the thoughts of either to love any one else. Awdrey, true to his promise to Margaret, said nothing about his engagement, but the secret was after all an open one. When the young couple appeared again among the rest of Sir John Cuthbert's guests, they encountered more than one significant glance, and Lady Cuthbert even went to the length of kissing Margaret with much fervor in Awdrey's presence.