"Why have you been so long? Oh! I have seen him. He has followed us here! What shall we do?—how shall we escape?"
"Whom have you seen?" asked Glynn, drawing her to him, distressed at the wild fear in her eyes.
"Vincent!" she whispered. "I saw him from my bedroom about three hours ago; my room is to the front. He did not see me, I am sure; he was looking round when I first caught sight of him, and his back was towards me, so I kept behind the curtain. Oh! Mr. Glynn, it will kill my father, I know it will! What can we do? Will you not help us?"
"I would give my life to buy peace for you, sweetest," cried Glynn passionately. "Give me the right to be with you, to guard you and your father! I love you with all my heart and soul. Give me a little love in return! be my own dear wife. I swear, whether you are or not, that accursed American shall do you no harm. Elsie, beloved! will you be mine?" He grasped her hands tightly, and held her eyes with his, as if he would penetrate her heart's secret. At first an expression of profoundest amazement flitted over her face, succeeded by a deep burning blush, as she shrank back from him.
"Are you sure this is not compassion?" she asked, in a very low voice.
"Compassion? No; why should it be compassion? Do you not feel, do you not see, that I love you, as men rarely love?" A curious, amused smile stole round Elsie's lips, and her eyes sunk to the ground. "What do you smile at?" asked Glynn, surprised in his turn.
"At your change of mind. Some seven or eight months ago you refused to marry me!"
"How do you know?" cried Glynn, feeling as if the glowing currents in his veins were arrested and turned to ice.
"By means of which I ought to be and am ashamed."
"Tell me!"