You really must forgive me! But remember, I told you the subject was barred; and as, knowing that, you went on, you really have no one but yourself to blame!' Leonard was furious, but managed to say as he dropped his arms: 'But I love you!' 'That may be, now,' she went on icily.

'But it is too late.

I do not love you; and I have never loved you! Of course, had you accepted my offer of marriage you should never have known that.

No matter how great had been my shame and humiliation when I had come to a sense of what I had done, I should have honourably kept my part of the tacit compact entered into when I made that terrible mistake.

I cannot tell you how rejoiced and thankful I am that you took my mistake in such a way.