'How can I deny you ? You know well you can do with me anything you will; you will do nothing but what is honorable: but what do you mean by a secret marriage? Will it be in a church ?' In church or by a clergyman, what does the place signify?'

But my grandmother must know; I am under age; we must have her consent.'

I do not think that will be requisite.'

'She would give it willingly, and keep

our secret.'

'I had much rather she had it not to keep, for your sake as much as my own. Until I can take you away to India you must remain with her as usual; it is best that she know

then.'

nothing

until

So I shall not write to her about it?' 'Not on any account.'

'But Mrs. Heathcote, that I am staying with, she will be sure to find

out

She must not-you must look to that; she of all others must not know that I am anything to you but a friend.'

'I cannot imagine how we can be married so secretly as that.'

'I

cannot tell you at this moment; but I pledge my honor and my soul to find a way.'

If I were to go home to my grandmother, you could follow me, and our clergyman would make us safe, and never tell a word to mortal, until the right time came. I am sure he would, and Grannie would be so happy!' I pleaded, wavering in my hard attempt to meet his will.

'Leila, that is impossible; what you ask is the same as if you required me to cut off my sword arm on the eve of battle. The story would ooze out and ruin me. No, Leila, if you love me, we must be married in the best way I can settle it here; in a few days you shall know how it can be done, secretly and safely. I want you, Leila, I cannot do without you now; but if you will not trust me so far as I ask of I must.'

you,

I trembled and felt subdued to his purpose. Was he not my head, my lord, the guide and protector of my life and

honor? to doubt of whom would be a crime, a sacrilege?

'We shall be married, Leila, within a week-you will not cross me again, my own darling. I have enough-' He broke short, and was silent as to the rest.

'Anything—anything in the world you ask me,' I murmured, incoherently. 'Your own Leila I have been ever since the first hour we met. You can take me.'

My voice broke into inarticulate sobs: I was laid upon his breast, trembling with a great and fearful joy: his lips were upon my ear, whispering, 'My own love, kiss me; will you not?'

I did not dare, though he had taken many and many a kiss of me in those last few moments.

Leila, you will kiss me as your husband?'

I lifted my head a little and met those dark, resistless eyes that swayed me as it were my fate he was smiling on my fear, in the delight of his heart; the fond, loving smile, that brought back more than the charm of youth into that grandly chiselled face, almost divine in its tender beauty

now. It was bending lower and lower towards mine; my soul rose to my lips. with a sharp cry, and a wild clasp of lifted arms, as our lips met-oh, earth! oh, life! I could have died in his embrace.

Ar last I had achieved my great happiness, the triumph that could not be taken away from me. I knew that nothing of what was to come could go beyond what I felt now I had won it for myself by my true love and self-devotion, like the young Saracen maiden, who loved an English warrior, her father's captive, gained him his liberty, and then, when he had returned home and forgotten her perhaps, followed after him, alone and ignorant of his very language, found her way with one word'London'-to the great city where he lived, and wandering from street to street, with one other word only on her lips,-his name, Gilbert'-was found by him, and