"Dearest!" he broke out, pleadingly, "the old way is the best way! I cannot bear to take you—to have you promise yourself without formality or sanction—"
"But I have already consented, Louis. Volenti non fit injuria," she added with a faint smile. "Voluntas non potest cogi—dearest—dearest of lovers! I love you dearly for what you offer me—I adore you for it. And—how long do you think you ought to wait for me?"
She disengaged herself from his arm, walked slowly toward the tall old clock, turned her back to it and faced him with clear level eyes. After a moment she laughed lightly:
"Did ever an engaged gentleman face the prospect of impending happiness with such a long face as this suitor of mine is wearing!"
His voice broke in the protest wrung from his lips.
"You must be my wife. I tell you! For God's sake marry me and let the future take care of itself!"
"You say so many sweet, confusing, and foolish things to me, Louis, that while you are saying them I almost believe them. And then that clear, pitiless reasoning power of mine awakens me; and I turn my gaze inward and read written on my heart that irrevocable law of mine, that no unhappiness shall ever come to you through me."
Her face, sweetly serious, brightened slowly to a smile.
"Now I am going home, monsieur—home to think over my mad and incredible promise to you … and I'm wondering whether I'll wake up scared to death…. Daylight is a chilly shower-bath. No doubt at all that I'll be pretty well frightened over what I've said and done to-night…. Louis, dear, you simply must take me home this very minute!" She came up to him, placed both hands on his shoulders, kissed him lightly, looked at him for a moment, humorously grave:
"Some day," she said, "a big comet will hit this law-ridden, man-regulated earth—or the earth will slip a cog and go wabbling out of its orbit into interstellar space and side-wipe another planet—or it will ultimately freeze up like the moon. And who will care then how Valerie West loved Louis Neville?—or what letters in a forgotten language spelled 'wife' and what letters spelled 'mistress'? After all, I am not afraid of words. Nor do I fear what is in my heart. God reads it as I stand here; and he can see no selfishness in it. So if merely loving you all my life—and proving it—is an evil thing to do, I shall be punished; but I'm going to do it and find out what celestial justice really thinks about it."