After a moment she laughed as a child laughs at the prospect of beholding wonders. "Kervyn," she said, "please do so. I will give you every opportunity if you will remain at Trois Fontaines." "I mean to remain in that vicinity," he said, meaningly; and she laughed again, deliciously, almost maliciously. "It would finish you thoroughly," she said. "It would be poetic justice with a vengeance." "_Your_ vengeance?" "Yes, mine. Oh, if you only _did_ do that!" "I think, considering the way you look at it, that I'd better not," he said, rather seriously. "Besides, I've no time." "No time to fall in love with me?" "No time." "Why?" "Shall I tell you?" "Yes, please." "Very well. Because after I have the papers I shall enter the Belgian army." He added with a hint of impatience--"Where I belong and where I ought to be now." She became very silent at that. After a few moments she said: "Had you decided to do that before I met you?" "Yes. I was on my way--trying to avoid the very trap I fell into." "The German army?" "Yes." After another silence she said: "I shall be very sorry when you go. I shall think of you when I am in England." "You can't go back to England, Karen." "That is true. I forgot." "Where will you go?" "I don't know." "Don't go to Germany." "Why?" "There may be an invasion." She had lifted her head as he spoke. After a moment she sighed like a tired child, laid her head back on his arm and rested one slender hand on his shoulder. It suddenly seemed to her that the world, which had been going very well with her, had halted, and was beginning to go the other way. "Kervyn?" "Yes?" "You could take the papers when I am asleep, I suppose. I couldn't help it, could I?" "That _is_ one way," he said, smiling. "What was the other?" He did not reply. She sighed again. "I suggested it," she said, "in order to give you a little more time to do--what you said you thought--possible." "Fall in love?" he asked lightly. "Yes." "What would be the use, Karen?" "Use?" "Yes. I'm going into the army. It will be a long war. If I fell in love with you I'd not have time to win your love in return before I went away--admitting that I could ever win it. Do you see?" "I quite see that." "So I had better take the papers when I can, and get into touch with the reserves of my regiment if I can." "What regiment?" "The Guides." "The Guides! Are you an officer?" "Yes, of the reserve." She knew quite well what that meant. Only the Belgian nobility of ancient lineage served as officers in the Guides. A happiness, a wonderful tranquillity crept over her. No wonder she had found it difficult to really reproach herself with her behaviour. And it was a most heavenly comfort to her to know that if she had been indiscreet, at least she had been misbehaving with one of her own caste. * * * * *