"Oh, darling!" She turned to him swiftly. "I'll never go away from you again. I can say that now, can't I?" Her red lips were lifted. He stooped and kissed them. "It's the one thing I love to hear you say, my princess," he said. The sun set in a glory of red and purple that night, spreading the royal colours far across the calm sky. It faded very quickly. The night swooped down, swift and soundless, and in the verandah of the bungalow known as The Nest a red lamp glowed with a steady beam across the darkness. Two figures stood for a space under the acacia by the gate, lingering in the evening quiet. Now and then there was the flutter of wings above them, and the white flowers fell and scattered like bridal blossoms all around. "We must go in," said Stella. "Peter will be disappointed if we keep the dinner waiting." "Ah! We mustn't hurt his august feelings," conceded Everard. "We owe him a mighty lot, my Stella. I wish we could make some return." "His greatest reward is to let him serve us," she answered. "His love is the kind that needs to serve." "Which is the highest kind of love," said Everard holding her to him. "Do you know--Hanani discovered that for me." She pressed close to his side. "Everard darling, why did you keep that secret so long?" "My dear!" he said, and was silent. "Well, won't you tell me?" she urged. "I think you might." He hesitated a moment longer; then, "Don't let it hurt you, dear!" he said. "But--actually--I wasn't sure that you cared--until I was with you in the temple and saw you--weeping for me." "Oh, Everard!" she said. He folded her in his arms. "My darling, I thought I had killed your love; and even though I found then that I was wrong, I wasn't sure that you would ever forgive me for playing that last trick upon you." "Ah!" she whispered. "And if I--hadn't--forgiven--you?" "I should have gone away," he said. "You would have left me?" She pressed closer. "I should have come back to you sometimes, sweetheart, in some other guise. I couldn't have kept away for ever. But I would never have intruded upon you," he said. "Everard! Everard!" She hid her face against him. "You make me feel so ashamed--so utterly--unworthy." "Don't darling! Don't," he whispered. "Let us be happy--to-night!" "And I wanted you so! I missed you so!" she said brokenly. He turned her face up to his own. "I missed myself a bit, too," he said. "I couldn't have played the Hanani game if Peter hadn't put me up to it. Darling, are those actually tears? Because I won't have them. You are going to look forward, not back." She clung to him closely, passionately. "Yes--yes. I will look forward. But, oh, Everard, promise me--promise me--you will never deceive me again!" "I don't believe I could, any more," he said. "But promise!" she urged.