And if you wavered I would hold you prisoner against your treacherous and very self!" "How could you hold me ?" "What?
Why--why--I----" She sat biting her scarlet lips and thinking, with straight brows deeply knitted, her greyish-purple eyes fixed hard on me.

Then a slight colour stained her cheeks, and she looked elsewhere, murmuring: "I do not know how I would hold you prisoner.

But I know I should do it, somehow." "I know it, too," said I, looking at my ring she wore.
She blushed hotly: "It is well that you do, Euan.

Death is the dire penalty if my prisoner escapes!" She hesitated, bit her lip, then added faintly: "Death for me, I mean." After a moment she slowly lifted her eyes to mine, and so still and clear were they that it seemed my regard plunged to the very depths of her.
"You do love me then," I said, taking her hand in mine.
Her face paled, and she caught her breath.
"Will you not wait--a little while--before you court me ?" she faltered.
"Will you not wait because I ask it of you ?" "Yes, I will wait." "Nor speak of love--until----" "Nor speak of love until you bid me speak." "Nor--caress me--nor touch me--nor look in my eyes--this way----" Her hand had melted somehow closely into mine.

We both were trembling now; and she withdrew her hand and slowly pressed it close against her heart, gazing at me in a white and childish wonder, as though dumb and reproachful of some wound that I had dealt her.