"Yes, I know," I said. "You know what?" he looked up, startled; then he took my hand again and sat close to me. "Oh, please, please don't, Lord Robert!" I said. It really made me quiver so with the loveliest feeling I have ever known, that I knew I should never be able to keep my head if he went on. "Please, please don't hold my hand," I said. "It--it makes me not able to behave nicely." "Darling," he whispered, "then it shows that you like me, and I sha'n't let go until you tell me every little bit." "Oh, I can't, I can't!" I felt too tortured, and yet, waves of joy were rushing over me. That _is_ a word, "darling," for giving feelings down the back. "Evangeline," he said, quite sternly, "will you answer this question, then: Do you like me, or do you hate me? Because, as you must know very well, I love you." Oh, the wild joy of hearing him say that! What in the world did anything else matter? For a moment there was a singing in my ears, and I forgot everything but our two selves. Then the picture of Christopher waiting for me, with his cold cynic's face and eyes blazing with passion, rushed into my vision, and the duke's critical, suspicious, disapproving scrutiny, and I felt as if a cry of pain, like a wounded animal, escaped me. "Darling, darling, what is it? Did I hurt your dear little hand?" Lord Robert exclaimed, tenderly. "No," I whispered, brokenly; "but I cannot listen to you. I am going back to Claridge's now, and I am going to marry Mr. Carruthers." He dropped my hand as if it stung him. "Good God! Then it is true," was all he said. In fear I glanced at him, his face looked gray in the quickly gathering mist. "Oh, Robert!" I said, in anguish, unable to help myself. "It isn't because I want to. I--I--oh, probably I love you, but I must; there is nothing else to be done." "Isn't there?" he said, all the life and joy coming back to his face. "Do you think I will let Christopher, or any other man in the world have you, now that you have confessed that?" and, fortunately, there was no one in sight, because he put his arms round my neck and drew me close and kissed my lips. Oh, what nonsense people talk of heaven! Sitting on clouds and singing psalms and things like that! There can't be any heaven half so lovely as being kissed by Robert. I felt quite giddy with happiness for several exquisite seconds, then I woke up. It was all absolutely impossible, I knew, and I must keep my head. "Now you belong to me," he said, letting his arm slip down to my waist, "so you must begin at the beginning, and tell me everything." "No, no," I said, struggling feebly to free myself, and feeling so glad he held me tight. "It is impossible, all the same, and that only makes it harder. Christopher is coming to see me at four, and I promised Lady Ver I would not be a fool, and would marry him." "A fig for Lady Ver," he said, calmly. "If that is all, you leave her to me--she never argues with me."