"Of course," he said abruptly, "I should be a fool to ask you if you've got any ... any personal regard for me! How could you have when we've only met twice." He waited hopefully it seemed, but Faith did not know how to answer him, and he went on rather ruefully: "But, all the same, you're willing to marry me without telling your mother till afterwards?" "Yes." "Isn't that rather foolish?" She flushed sensitively. "I don't know what you mean." "I mean, that for all you know, I might be the biggest blackguard unhung. I might be wanted by the police--I might be all of a hundred and one unsavoury things. Do you realize that?" Faith laughed now. She was not in the least afraid that he could be any of these things. "I think you're the kindest man I've ever met," she said. "Do you?" He laughed dryly. "But, then, you haven't met many men, I take it." "No." Another little silence. "Have you got a mother?" Faith asked shyly. He turned his head. "I haven't a relative in the whole world as far as I know. I was born in Australia, and my mother died there, and my father broke his neck when I was fifteen." "Broke his neck?" echoed Faith, horrified. "Yes. We had a farm in Australia, twenty-eight miles from a town, and, when he was riding back home one night, the pony caught its foot and threw him." He paused. "I found him lying along the track next morning," he added grimly. Faith drew a long breath. "And you were only fifteen! How awful!" "Yes, it was pretty bad. I know I sat there beside him in the scorching sun and cried for half the day, till someone came along and took me home." "And--then?" she asked. "Oh, I've roughed it in thousands of ways since then, and I'm tired of roughing it. That's why I want to get married." His eyes softened as they looked at her. "I think you and I will get on well together," he said. "Yes," Faith assented. "I think so, too." "And I'm to fix it up without your mother knowing, is that it?" "Yes--if you--if you don't mind." He laughed. "Bless your heart, it's not for me to mind! I'll get a special licence, and we can be married to-morrow." She caught her breath. "To-morrow! Oh, it's too soon!" "Too soon! What is there to wait for?" "I shall have to tell them at Heeler's, and there's Peg...." "That friend of yours? Well--tell her afterwards--when you tell your mother." Faith wavered. She would like to have told Peg, but she answered after a moment: "Oh, very well, but--but not to-morrow!" "Very well--on Saturday, then--that gives you three days to fix things." "Thank you." His eyes wandered over her small person. "Have you got any money?" he demanded. "I get paid on Saturday--two pounds." "Two pounds! Good heavens!"--he thrust a hand into his breast pocket, and brought out a bundle of notes. "I'll give you twenty--buy some clothes and make yourself look pretty." Faith turned from red to white. She drew back when he would have put the money into her hands.