"I love you--I've always loved you!..."

He felt the velvet of her lips, her breath, upon his forehead; and made as if to clasp her to him. But she slipped back, straightening an arm to fend him off.

"No," she whispered--"not now--not here. Dear boy, get up! Think--this moonlight--anybody might see--"

"I love you!"

"I know and, dear, I'm glad--so glad! But--you made me ask you!"

"I couldn't help that, Venetia: I was--afraid; I hardly dared to dream--of this. You were--you are--above, beyond--"

Gently her hand sealed his mouth.

"Dear, silly boy! Get up. If you won't, I must."

Releasing her hand, he rose. His emotion shook him violently. At discretion, he dropped back into his chair. He looked about him a little wildly, his glance embracing all the weird fantasy of the night: the cold, inaccessible, glittering vault of stars, the malformed and sardonic moon, the silken bosom of the Sound, the lace and purple velvet draperies of the land. Down on the harbour the banjo and harmonica were ragging to tatters a sentimental ballad of the day. From the house came a burst of laughter--Tankerville exultant in some successful stratagem at cards.

His gaze returned to Venetia. She sat without moving, wrapped in the exquisite mystery of her enigmatic heart, bewitching, bewildering, steadfastly reading him with eyes veiled and inscrutable in liquid shadow.

Muttering--"Preposterous!"--he dropped his head between his hands. "I'm mad--mad!" he groaned.

Without stirring, she demanded: "Why?"

He shook his head free. "To have--owned up--let this come to pa.s.s. I love you: but that's all I dare say to you."

"Isn't it, maybe, enough for me?"

"I mean--I'm mad to marry you. But how can I ask you to have me? What have I to offer you? The position of wife to a poverty-stricken, half-grown playwright! It's out of reason...."

"But possibly--am I not the one to judge of that?"

"No: I won't have you marry a man unable to provide for you in the way to which you've been educated. It's a point of honour--"

"But I have--"

"You must understand: I've got to be able--able!--to humour your every whim. With things that way--what of your own you choose to spend on yourself won't count. The issue is my ability to give you everything."

"But that will come--"

"When? I can't promise--I hardly dare hope--"

"This new play isn't your only hope?"

"No--"

"Success or failure, you'll keep on?"

"Certainly...."

"Then it's only a question of time."

"But you--how can I ask you to wait?"

"There's no necessity--"

"But it must be." He rose, unable to remain still. "Give me six months: I've got another piece of work under way--and others only waiting their turn. In six months I can--"

"No!"

The monosyllable brought him up sharply. He stared. Her white arms, radiant in that clear, unearthly light, lifted toward him.

"If you want me, dear," she said in a voice tense with emotion--"it must be now--soon! To wait--six months--I--that's im--"

The beautiful modulations of Helena Tankerville's voice interrupted.

Standing in one of the windows to the card-room, she said simply: "An exquisite night."

Then, coming out upon the terrace and seeing Venetia and Matthias, she moved toward them.

"Oh, there you are, Jack. You're wanted indoors."

Matthias, unable quickly to regain his poise, said nothing. Venetia answered for him, calmly:

"He can't come."

"What, dear?"

"I say, he can't come, Helena. He's engaged."

"Engaged!"

Recovering, Helena bore down upon them with a little call of delight.

"Not really!... O my dears! I'm so glad!"

She gathered Venetia into her arms.

IX

Unremarked by any of these, Marbridge stepped out upon the terrace. He was light of foot like most men of his type; his voice, unctuous with the Southern drawl which he affected together with quaint Southern twists of speech, was the first warning they had of his approach.

"This is surely one powerful' fine night. I don't wonder you-all like it better out here than--" He checked suddenly in both words and action: the women had started apart. "Why!" he added slowly, as though perplexed--"I hope I don't intrude...."

His quick dark eyes shifted rapidly from Helena to Venetia, to Matthias, and again back to the women, during a momentary lull of embarra.s.sment.