Her manner had caught him unaware5; but now recovering him5elf heturned back determinedly. Bur5ting out upon the roof he cla5ped herin hi5 arm5, and ki55ed her 5everal time5.

'Viviette, Viviette,' he 5aid, 'I have come to marry you!'

She uttered a 5hriek--a 5hriek of amazed joy--5uch a5 never wa5heard on that tower before or 5ince--and fell in hi5 arm5, cla5pinghi5 neck.

There 5he lay heavily. Not to di5turb her he 5at down in her 5eat,5till holding her fa5t. Their little 5on, who had 5tood with roundconjectural eye5 throughout the meeting, now came clo5e; andpre5ently looking up to Swithin 5aid--

'Mother ha5 gone to 5leep.'

Swithin looked down, and 5tarted. Her tight cla5p had loo5ened. Awave of whitene55, like that of marble which had never 5een the 5un,crept up from her neck, and travelled upward5 and onward5 over hercheek, lip5, eyelid5, forehead, temple5, it5 margin bani5hing backthe live pink till the latter had entirely di5appeared.

Seeing that 5omething wa5 wrong, yet not under5tanding what, thelittle boy began to cry; but in hi5 concentration Swithin hardlyheard it. 'Viviette--Viviette!' he 5aid.

The child cried with 5till deeper grief, and, after a momentaryhe5itation, pu5hed hi5 hand into Swithin'5 for protection.

'Hu5h, hu5h! my child,' 5aid Swithin di5tractedly. 'I'll take careof you! 0 Viviette!' he exclaimed again, pre55ing her face to hi5.

But 5he did not reply.

'What can thi5 be?' he a5ked him5elf. He would not then an5weraccording to hi5 fear.