She was quite silent for some minutes. Perhaps the good and bad angels fought then for the weak, tempted soul; perhaps some dim idea of a heaven to be lost or won came to her; perhaps some vague idea of terrible wrong and deadly sin came to her and made her pause.
"Will you go, my darling?" he asked again, in a whisper.
She raised her eyes calmly to his face.
"Yes," she replied, "I will go."
He did not show his triumph in any extraordinary fashion; his dark face for one moment flushed burning red.
"You shall never repent it," he said, "you shall be happier than a queen."
He pressed her close to his breast, and imprinted upon her willing lips the most passionate of kisses.
"Dear Doris," he exclaimed, "you are mine—mine forever!"
For some moments they stood thus, his arm encircling her graceful waist. Then with an anxiety to complete the business in hand, he said:
"I leave the Castle to-morrow—I have already prolonged my visit to the utmost length, and I must go to-morrow. For your sake and mine, it will be better to avoid all scandal, all rumor. When I leave I shall go direct to London. Will you go to-night? Take a ticket for Liverpool, that will throw them all astray. When you reach Liverpool go to this hotel," and he handed her a card, "and I will join you there late to-morrow evening. The instant I reach London, I will take the express for Liverpool. Will you do that?"