"Yes, Fate plays many tricks, does she not? Oh, Sidney! Sweetheart, I can hardly believe I have won you! How often when I was here before, I longed to chase the sadness out of your eyes! How I have prayed for this moment to hold you in my arms, and tell you how I loved you! The time has been sweetened out abroad by your letters; I have carried them about; I have slept with them under my pillow. I have learnt them by heart, and kissed the writing night and morning, but they're a poor exchange after all for you, yourself. I got foolishly jealous at one time of young Austin. I was glad when you told me that he had gone abroad. It was torture to me when you left your home, and I knew that you had no longer any man to care for you or protect you. I know I'm out of date; but, thank God, you are! You don't want to go through life alone and independent, do you? You will be content to come to me, and let me have the joy of caring for you?" Sidney's murmured assent was hardly needed. She felt the exquisite rest of soul that a good and strong man's love brings to one. She believed in him and she loved him. He would never disappoint her. Presently she released herself, but the farm buildings were forgotten. They wandered round in the twilight talking over their letters, their experiences, their need of each other; and when they at last returned to the house, Monica received them in her matter-of-fact fashion. "I am sure you have never been near my buildings. Well, it served its purpose, and now accept my congratulations. You are a very lucky man, Randolph, to have won her heart. But I don't like the idea of you carrying her off from us all. How shall we get on without her?" "You can get on better without her than I can," said Randolph, with erect head and triumphantly happy eyes. "And I think it is her turn to be taken care of. You people down here seem to regard her as a general help, one whom you can send for at a moment's notice, if you get into any sort of trouble. I am going to stop all that, for she is worn-out in working for others." "Never!" said Sidney, looking up at him with kindling eyes. "Don't you know that is a woman's highest ideal, to be wanted?" "Then that ideal will be realised, for I have only half lived since I met you first, and then had to part from you." "It's just another form of selfishness," said Monica dryly. "She will have to centre herself round one individual, instead of round many." Randolph laughed lightheartedly. "You have me there," he said; "but I'm not going to take her to a desert island. She is going to help me at Empire building." A sharp line showed itself between Monica's brows. "Oh, this building!" she exclaimed. "It is getting on my nerves." Sidney bent over her and kissed her. "We won't talk about it any more, Monnie, and you are not going to lose me yet, not for a long time." CHAPTER XX A STRANGE ENCOUNTER "Is Uncle Ted in?"