As in a dream he saw her come towards him. She came so silent and so pale in the spectral light that he feared lest it was the spectre of his mind that came to meet him. And once more the voice cried "Hellayne!" and then they lay in each other's arms. All her reluctance, all her doubts seemed to have flown at the sound of her name from his lips. "Hellayne! Hellayne!" he whispered deliriously, kissing her eyes, her hair, her sweet lips, and folding her so close to him, as if he would never again part from her he loved better than life. "At last I have found you! How came you here? Speak! Is it indeed yourself, or is it some mocking spirit that has borrowed your form?" And again he kissed her and their eyes held silent commune. "It is I who have just refound you!" she whispered, as he looked enraptured into the sweet girlish face, the face that had not changed since he had left Avalon, though she seemed to have become more womanly, and in her eyes lay a pathetic sorrow. What a rapture there was in that clear tone. But she trembled as she spoke. Would he understand? Would he believe? "But--why--why--are you here?" he stammered. "I have sought you long." "You have followed me? You are not then a nun?" "You see I am not." "But why--oh why,--have you done this thing?" She made no answer. "You are here in Rome--and he is here. And you did not know?" "I knew!" she replied with a little nod, like a questioned child. "You knew! And he believes that I knew!" "That is a small matter, dear. For he knows, that you knew not." The endearment startled him. It seemed to cast her faith upon him. "What are you doing here?" he said. "I came because I had to come! I had no choice--!" "No choice! Then why did you send me away?" She gave a little shrug. "I knew not how much I loved you." "And yet, dearest, you cannot remain here. You know his moods better than any one else--and you know if he finds us--for your own sake, dearest, you cannot remain." In the warmth of his entreaty he had used as endearing words as she. They were precious to her ears. "Let him come!" she said, nestling close to him. "Let him come and kill me!" She glanced about. He pointed to the castellated building that rose darkly beyond the holm-oaks. "Yonder--is yonder your abode?" he stammered. Suddenly the woman in her gained the mastery. "Oh no! No! No! Let us hide! Wretch that I am, to risk your life with mine." She had flung herself upon him. Around them rioted roses in wild profusion. To him it seemed like a bosquet of Eden. Upon his breast she sobbed. But no consideration of past or present could restrain his hand from gently soothing her silken hair. "Oh, why did you leave me?" she cried. "Why could we not have loved without all this? Surely two souls can love--if love they must--without doing wrong to any one." His arms stole about her. "Speak to me! Speak to me!" she whispered with upturned face.