"Why did not Fate make me your equal instead of your servant? Surely the force of my love would have drawn yours in return. I have hands to work for you, I have a brain to plan for you, I have love that would never grow cold. I am not without manners or education; but, despite all these things, the world does not count me--a gentleman. I am but a son of the soil, and I must not dare to look up to any lady with the eyes of love." His tone, full of anguish--almost of despair, was respectful now. Despite Ella's indignation, she felt some compassion for him. "You must forget all this," she said, with gentle gravity: "and I will try to forget that you have spoken as you have to-day. You have an honourable career before you if you choose to follow it, and you may rely upon my doing all that is in my power to further your interests. But never must you address me in this strain again; recollect that. And now I shall be glad if you will row me ashore." What a revelation his words had been to her! A thousand little tokens, never noticed before, flashed across her memory. But Hubert made no movement towards the boat. "Forget all this! never speak of it again!" he exclaimed with renewed bitterness. "What easy words to say! There is one thing I should like to remind you of, Miss Ella; it may lessen my seeming presumption. My mother was a lady born; but she left friends, station, everything, to follow my father's humble fortunes. Other gentlewomen there are, who have sacrificed all for love, and deemed the world well lost." This persistence annoyed Ella while it frightened her. She had never seen the expression on his face that it wore this afternoon, and she shuddered while she looked. Surely this could not be the Hubert Stone she had known for so many years! It was the spirit of some demon which had got possession of him and was looking out of his eyes. She had seen that other kind of spirit below, and rightly deemed that he had been making free with it. It might not answer to be too severe with him. "Will you not let me go? I am tired," she said, pleasantly. "You are not like yourself, Hubert. I hardly know you this afternoon." "Faith, I hardly know myself," he answered, with a strange, jarring laugh. "It is all your fault: you have ruined me, body and soul." Ella cast an imploring glance towards the distant shore. She was growing desperately frightened. Again his mood changed to tenderness. "Oh, my sweet mistress, is there no hope for me?" he wailed. "Is there none, none? No man else could love you as I love; no heart could be as faithful as mine would be." "Hubert Stone, enough of this," cried Ella, her fears merged in her indignation. "Once and for all, understand that you could never be anything to me in the way you speak of. If you have the slightest spark of honour, you will not persecute me further." There was scorn in her voice and indignation in her eyes, but never had he seen her look more beautiful than at that moment.