"It's very good of you, doctor," she replied courteously. "I hope he will become quite strong again." "I'm afraid not, his body is worn out and has not strength enough to resist disease--of course, now he has only a slight cold, but any chance exposure may affect his lungs seriously and if pneumonia sets in I'm afraid he will have no chance." "What is to be done?" she asked anxiously. "I cannot do more than I have done, he must be kept quiet and warm. I've persuaded him to take some strong soup which will do him good--in fact I think his ascetic manner of living has had as much to do with his ill-health as anything else." "I hope he will get well," said Una earnestly, "if he would only change his mode of life I'm sure he would get well." "Yes," the young man answered absently, "of course, exactly," he hesitated a moment then burst out in despair, "Then I would have to go away." Una looked at him surprised at his evident emotion. "Of course we would be very sorry to lose you," she said quietly, "but you, no doubt, would be glad to get back to your home." "No--I would not," he said passionately, coming a step nearer, "because you would not be there." "I?" Una Challoner rose to her feet in amazement at his words. "I?" she repeated in a puzzled tone. "What have I to do with your movements?" "Everything," said the unhappy young man with a gesture of despair. "When I came here a short time since I was perfectly happy--I had conquered all the evils and sorrow of my youth, and my life was a pleasant one, but since I saw you all is changed. I can think of nothing but you--morn, noon, and night, I see you before me--morn, noon, and night, I only hear your voice." He looked at her defiantly and saw her standing silent and indignant before him. "Can't you understand?" he burst out again rapidly. "I love you--I love you! from the first moment I saw you I loved you--I want you to be my wife, will you be my wife Una." Miss Challoner felt perplexed--this man had only known her a fortnight, she had spoken very little to him, yet here he was asking her to marry him in a vehement, masterful manner which roused within her all the pride of womanhood. "What you ask is impossible, Doctor Nestley," she said coldly and deliberately. "I have only known you a fortnight and--beyond this I am ignorant of your life in every way. I never dreamed that you would speak to me in this manner." "Then you don't love me?" he cried in despair, "You cold perfection of womanhood, you don't love me?" Una would have replied indignantly, but she began to see the nervous excitable temperament of the young man and recognised that, being under the influence of a strong emotion, he was not answerable for the way in which he spoke.