"Mine? Why, I gave you something better than that," she began gaily. Then her face altered; she fell silent, watching him—at first incredulous, then a little dazed. "Didn’t you know that I loved you?" he said. "You mean—last summer.... Yes." "_Now_! Didn’t you _know_ it?" "I—no." Far in the chaos of her brain she heard his words echoing, reëchoing in confused reiteration. He was saying, slowly: "There has never been a moment since that day that my life has not been yours—that you have not possessed my heart, my mind, filled them, owned them, overwhelmingly inspired me with love and adoration for you alone. What I am, and will be, I am, and shall be by grace of you. "But gratitude is not the love of man for woman; it is not even part of it; it is a separate passion—a shrine by itself. I worship you there in my own fashion. "But you, Diana—Japonette—" He flung one arm around her body. She placed a firm hand on his wrist as though to break the clasp, looked at him, and began to tremble. "Can you love me, Japonette?" "_Can_ you?" "Yes." Her hand tightened over his wrist as he drew her close, crushing her to him. She looked up blindly into his eyes as he kissed her; then her lids unclosed and her silent lips moved, forming his name. They neither dressed for the theater nor went to it. They dined together at an outrageous hour in an unfashionable haunt of his. Silvette, Jack, Mr. Rivett, and Mr. Dineen found them at supper in the little parlor when they arrived from the play. "Di!" cried Silvette, "what on earth has possessed you and Jim?" Her voice failed her at sight of her sister’s face. "_That!_" she exclaimed; "has _that_ happened? Darling! My little Di—my little, little girl!" she murmured, dropping on her knees beside her. Mr. Dineen looked foolishly at Mr. Rivett. "Say it later, John," whispered Mr. Rivett dryly. "We’ll go downstairs for a while." "You won’t!" said Diana, turning laughingly on them. "You will wish us happiness, and drink to it, too." She rose, flushed and radiant. Silvette sprang to her feet and kissed her; Jack seized her with determination, and made no ceremony about it. Then Diana walked straight up to Mr. Rivett, and held out both hands; and the little man kissed her grimly. Mr. Dineen’s blue eye sparkled; she looked at the big, jolly Irishman, audaciously delighted. "What man has done, man may do," she said. "Faith, I’ll see if a woman can do it, too!" he said, saluting her with all the reckless grace of his race. Then Edgerton’s hand was shaken and his shoulder patted, and Jack summoned legions of waiters from the regions below. Rivett’s burned-brown eyes bored through and through Edgerton as he took his hand. "I thought you’d do it," he said. "Did you? I wasn’t very hopeful myself," said the young fellow, laughing.