He could feel the quiver that shook her slender form at the unexpectedness of it. She uttered a startled cry, and wondered if she had heard aright, but she yielded to the clasp of an encircling arm. Perhaps she lifted her face in sheer amazement; be that as it may, Dick kissed her, not once, but many times. "May Heaven guard and keep you, sweetheart," he said brokenly. "You know that I love you. You have known it many a day, but I forced myself to be silent because I was proud. Now my pride has given way to the joy of whispering that I love you. To-morrow, that stubborn pride of mine may rebuke me, and say that I had no right to take you to my heart to-night, but to-night my love laughs at all that idle pretense of money erecting a barrier between you and me. You are dearer to me than life, and why should I not tell you so? I wanted to meet you to-night, Irene. I made plaint to the stars when I did not see you at parting. Now that you are here, I find myself at the gates of Paradise. Yet you must leave me now, dear one. Let me carry the fragrance of your kiss on my lips until the dawn. Then, in the chill of morning, when cold reason chides me, I shall refuse to listen to her, for I shall remember that Irene kissed me." The girl clung to him during a blissful instant. "Oh!" she sighed, and "Oh!" again as though her heart was throbbing its life out. Then she murmured: "You have not even asked me if I loved you, King Dick!" With that she glanced up at him, and placed both hands on his shoulders. "No," he said. "I only asked you to kiss me. I shall ask for your love when I may come without reproach and ask you to be my wife." "Dick," she said, with adorable shyness, "it is not yet to-morrow." He strained her to his breast. Their lips met again rapturously. "Oh, my sweet," he said, "has ever man received more angelic answer to a question that filled his heart with longing throughout many days?" "Yet you are leaving me, and of your own accord." "Irene--you, too, are proud. Would you have me return now?" "No. I know now that fate has chosen you to decide our fortunes. Go, Dick, but come back to me in safety, or my poor little heart will break." Then, as though afraid of her own weakness, she drew herself from his arms and hurried away towards the camp. He stood motionless, listening to her footsteps, and his soul sang blithe canticles the while. At last, when assured that she was within her tent, he picked up the discarded burnous, strode to the waiting camels, and quickly the desert enfolded him and his dreams in its great silence.