"Isn't it enough?"
He gazed into her serious eyes a moment and laughed with boyish enthusiasm.
"Yes, it is, Miss Mary! You're glorious. You're wonderful. You make me ashamed of my foolishness. You inspire me to do things. And I'm going to do them for your sake."
"For your own sake, because God has put the spark in your soul. Your declaration of love has made me very happy. We're too young yet to take it seriously. We must both live our life in its morning before we settle down to the final things. They'll come too soon."
"I'm going to love you always, Miss Mary," he protested.
"I want you to. But you'll probably marry another girl."
"Never!"
"And I know you'll be her loyal knight, her devoted slave. It's a way our Southern boys have. And it's beautiful."
Stuart studied the finely chiseled face with a new reverence.
"Miss Mary, you've let me down so gently. I don't feel hurt at all."