She could not have prevented him from speaking; she had loosed the bonds that had held her life so long; the anchor was up, and the breath of love fanned the sails, and gently bore the craft in which she trusted out to seaward over the fair water.

In seeing him she had resigned herself to him, and she could not again get the mastery if she would.

It had come too soon, but it was sweet.
"And why not ?" he said, very softly.

"Why should it not remain so for ever--till our last breath?
Why will you not let it last ?" Still she was silent; but the tears gathered slowly in her eyes, and welled over and lay upon her velvet cheek like dewdrops on the leaves of a soft dark tulip.

Giovanni saw them, and knew that they were the jewels which crowned his life.
"You will," he said, his broad brown hand gently covering her small fingers and taking them in his.