A wave of color overspread her cheek. The heir of the de Vaudreys to give himself to her! Pride and love mingled in her thoughts. Yes, to throw himself away on a Commoner girl--he meant it. Flashed the picture on her mental retina of the little solemn oath to Louise. What he asked was impossible--for him and for her. Henriette handed back the ring. "Marry you--an aristocrat! Why, that would ruin you in the eyes of _all the world_!" He was down on his knees, pleading, agonized, distressed, looking for some sign of relentment from the beauteous little head that seemed rigidly to repress emotion. "Then you d-o-n-'t l-o-v-e m-e?" he faltered at last, rising. "No!" was the reply, in a firm but very small voice. The broken Chevalier started slowly for the door. He turned slightly and caught the sound of sobs. Wheeling around, he saw her arms half stretched towards him. He bounded back. He was now kissing the hem of her garments, her gloves, her roses, her fingertips, and crying extravagantly, almost shouting the words: "You DO love me!" Gently Henriette imparted a maiden's delicate kiss on his cheek. "When Louise is found--" she was half sobbing in his arms, "--dreams--yes--perhaps you might find a way to bring them true!" But the gallant gentleman jumps forward to the end of the dream. Youthfully swearing that Louise will soon be found, he visions their exquisite happiness as of tomorrow or the day after. He holds her delightedly, then draws her closer. The kindred magnets are one. Lips meet lips in soul-kiss that cause the maidenly head to hide under elbow in confusion. Kissing almost every part and furnishing of that dear second self--vowing never to rest till he brings Louise and takes Henriette--the ecstatic cavalier is gone! Alas for the quickly visioned dream-facts of twenty-four! Full long shall be the interval betwixt the bright Utopia and the heavenly reality:--the dungeon, the Storm, the death chamber and e'en the shining axe shall intervene. A great Nation shall have thrown off its old tyrants and weltered in the blood of new tyranny. What matter? The souls of the girl and the man are one, they shall be faithful unto the End! CHAPTER XIII THE RECOGNITION The Chevalier de Vaudrey sought his Aunt and begged her to see his beloved before finally siding with the Count against him. The incident of the chance encounter with the blind girl had stirred the Countess, awakened renewed pity for hapless love such as she herself had once experienced. She decided to visit Henriette, if only to divert her from the seemingly mad project of a union with the Chevalier.