"Love!" he breathed, "love, which changes man into God," and again his lips sought hers. With a thrill, she yielded to the first caress she had ever known. And the nightingale sang triumphantly in the thicket. But now the song was no longer wordless: she knew all that the bird could tell. "Which is love, love, and love again," whispered the Fairy Prince. Then Mavis began to weep, with a natural fear of the unknown, and Gerald consoled her, as a mother consoles a child. She clung to him in the shadow of the tree, silent and wondering, and with something of pain--the pain of the reborn, when the fire of love purifies the soul. A veil had fallen from her eyes, and, beholding the secret shrine of the god, she trembled, and wept, and joyed, all in a breath. "It is wonderful, wonderful, terrible," she murmured. "Oh, Gerald, if you leave me I shall die. You are part of me: your soul is blended with mine. You love me: oh, say that you love me?" "As I love Truth and Beauty and Wisdom, and all things that make up our conception of God." There was silence for a few minutes, and the two human beings, who were really one, felt that they were alone in this wonderful white world--alone with God. "And this is love?" murmured Mavis dreamily. "Part of love," said Gerald softly. "What do you mean?" "Dearest, the veil of love is beauty." "Yes?" "We must remove that veil: we must look behind it, to see what love really means in the innermost." "Can we?" "We are about to," he drew her closer to his breast, "the inner meaning of love is sacrifice." "Sacrifice," said Mavis, puzzled. "And that sacrifice we must make, if we would know the real and true meaning of love." "Do you mean that we must part?" she gasped, withdrawing herself. "For a time," he assured her, "only for a time--say a week." "Oh," Mavis stretched out her arms langorously, "how can I live through seven days without you?" "By knowing that sacrifice is the soul of love." "But why must you go?" she entreated. "Oh, do not go, darling. Let us be always together in this garden." "I fear Bellaria will object," said Haskins, smiling. "She will never know?" "Oh yes. We cannot always meet by stealth. Bellaria is a woman, and will sooner or later discover our secret. Then there is Geary, and your guardian." Mavis shivered. "I am afraid of Geary, with his big knife, but not of Bellaria or my guardian. She will be a little angry, but when I tell her how happy I am she will be glad. And my guardian is always kind. Oh, Gerald, tell him that you love me, and wish me to be your wife. Then he will stop Geary from coming here, and we can be happy."