You are my whole life, and my days and nights only have the hours of my thoughts of you to mark them." His words came confusedly and uncontrolled, but his voice had a longing pathetic ring in it, as of a very hopeless appeal.

Veronica had been startled at first, and her eyes were wide and girlish as she looked at him.

It was the first time that any man had ever told her that he loved her, and for that reason it was to be memorable; but it did not seem to be the first time.

Taquisara's manly pleading and fervent voice when he had spoken yesterday had left her ears dull to this real first time of hearing love speeches, so that this seemed the second, and the words she heard, after the first little shock of realizing what they were, touched no chord that would respond.
She did not answer at first, but half unconsciously she shook her head, as she turned from him and looked away once more.

Perhaps that was the most unkind thing she could have done; for it was so natural, and simple, and unaffected a refusal, that he could hardly be mistaken as to her meaning; and, after all, she had led him on to speak.