you loved--once?" It was hard for her to say it, but she said it
bravely.

"No. I never loved any one in all the world, Rosalie--not till I loved
you."

She gave a happy sigh. "Oh, it is wonderful!" she said. "It is
wonderful and good! Did you--did you love me from the very first?"

"I think I did, though I didn't know it from the very first," he answered
slowly. His heart beat hard, for he could not guess how she should know
of Kathleen. It was absurdly impossible that she should know. "But many
have loved you!" she said proudly. "They have not shown it," he
answered grimly; then added quickly, and with aching anxiety: "When did
you hear of--of Kathleen?"

"Oh, you are such a blind huntsman!" she laughed. "Don't you know where
my little fox was hiding? Why, in the shop, when you held the note-paper
up to the light, and looked startled, and bought all the paper we had
that was water-marked Kathleen. Do you think that was clever of me? I
don't."

"I think it was very clever," he said.

"Then she-Kathleen--doesn't really matter?" she asked eagerly. "Of
course she can't, if you don't love her. But does she love you? Did she
ever love you?" "Never in her life."

"So of course it doesn't matter," she rejoined. "Hush!" she added
rapidly. "I see some one coming in the trees yonder. It may be some one