"Let me tell you quick, Toney." He took her hand, and Toney felt she was dreaming, for never had he looked like that before, never had he held her hand in this manner. "I went away because I loved you—yes, I have always loved you, and you only, but that beastly money came in the way! Lady Dove said I wanted your money, and my horrid pride couldn't swallow the gold! I sacrificed everything to it; then came the day when I couldn't stand any more, I couldn't live and see you every day and say nothing when I wasn't sure—of your feelings. I wasn't worthy of you, Toney; I might have trusted you, I might have known that the money would never stay with you, and now I've heard; but, oh, my Toney, will you believe that I was coming before I knew; I was coming to swallow the whole fortune, and the on dits of the whole county, only your uncle told me, and, anyhow, I ask you now, will you be my wife, not for the money, but for yourself? If you say I don't deserve you, if you say you don't care enough for me, I'll go off again and wait—and then, another thing, Toney, you thought about Maud—how could you? I expect it was Lady Dove again, and now you have just saved her life, and nearly—Toney—Toney." He put his strong arm round her and she did not resist. "Speak to me and tell me—and then I'll face all those Society lions."
Then Toney just laid her weary head on his shoulder, and there was a lump in her throat and a great, great gladness in her heart.
"Don't go away, ever again—I've been very, very miserable, and I hated myself because I thought you belonged to Maud—— Is it true, quite, quite true?"
"It's awfully true—Toney, you won't go on believing about Maud?"
"Oh, gracious stars! no!" cried Toney lifting up her face that was so pink, and her eyes that were so bright; "because she's just been engaging herself to the Honourable Edward Lang!"
"Maud?" shouted Lewis, and they both laughed together. "So you knew—when?"
"Oh, here, just before I went to sleep. Then all the horrid feelings went away—and dear, dear Lewis, I sort of felt you would come back, and I was so happy—and you won't mind my being rather poor, though Aunt Dove says you ought to marry money; but even for you I could not keep it, because it was all dedicated long ago to the poor and needy."
"My darling, I've proved I don't care, though in a stupid way—— Toney, say you forgive me for hurting you, and now—I claim the gift you promised me long ago from the cottage window."
"Oh, Lewis, was it that? and I never guessed!" Then a great content fell on them both. "I said I would give you what you asked, and I think that I always have loved you, though I never knew it till—you went away! Oh! there's uncle—let me go—and tell him; he sort of guessed it before I did!"
"He's more sense than I have," said Lewis laughing.