Howard Tracy, I am no more an earl's child than you are!" To her joy--and secret surprise, also--it never phased him.

He was ready, this time, and saw his chance.

He cried out with enthusiasm, "Thank heaven for that!" and gathered her to his arms.
To express her happiness was almost beyond her gift of speech.
"You make me the proudest girl in all the earth," she said, with her head pillowed on his shoulder.

"I thought it only natural that you should be dazzled by the title--maybe even unconsciously, you being English--and that you might be deceiving yourself in thinking you loved only me, and find you didn't love me when the deception was swept away; so it makes me proud that the revelation stands for nothing and that you do love just me, only me--oh, prouder than any words can tell!" "It is only you, sweetheart, I never gave one envying glance toward your father's earldom.

That is utterly true, dear Gwendolen." "There--you mustn't call me that.