We had now reached her door, and she said she must go in. I persuaded her, however, to wait a little while longer before she knocked, as I could not say `Good-night' yet. Parting was too hard, though sweet. So, we talked on in whispers to one another for some minutes--it may have been hours, for all I know to the contrary--what might be to you only a lot of uninteresting talk, but, what was heaven to me! "Good-night, Frank!" Min said at length. "I really must go in now, or mamma will think me lost. And, O Frank!" she exclaimed in alarm, as the sudden thought struck her--"what _will_ she say when she hears of this!" "Oh, never mind thinking of that now!" I said. "I will come round to- morrow afternoon, sweet, and ask her whether I may be allowed to hope, and win you for my own dear, darling little wife!" We were standing close together in the porch, just under the gas-light. I was gazing into her eyes, which seemed to me ever so much brighter than the light of the lamp above us, or the stars overhead. The little ear next me got quite pink. She quickly bent down her head in confusion. "You mustn't call me names, Frank!" she said. "I won't have it, sir! I won't have it! You have no right!" I clasped her little hand firmly in mine. "This belongs to me now, darling, does it not? You _will_ be my own darling little wife, won't you?" I repeated. She said nothing, but, after a moment, she raised her face to mine; and, as I bent down my head, and looked into her very soul, through the deep, honest, trusting, loving, grey eyes, our lips met in one long thrilling kiss. It was a foretaste of paradise! END OF FIRST VOLUME. End of Project Gutenberg's She and I, Volume 1, by John Conroy Hutcheson