Can't I ?" She was smiling and her eyes were clear and fearless, but there was a wild-rose tint on her cheeks which deepened a little as he turned short in his tracks, gazing straight at her.
"You wish to keep me--for yourself ?" he repeated, laughing.
"Yes, Captain Selwyn." "Until you marry.

Is that it, Eileen ?" "Yes, until I marry." "And then we'll let each other go; is that it ?" "Yes.

But I think I told you that I would never marry.

Didn't I ?" "Oh! Then ours is to be a lifelong and anti-sentimental contract!" "Yes, unless _you_ marry." "I promise not to," he said, "unless you do." "I promise not to," she said gaily, "unless you do." "There remains," he observed, "but one way for you and I ever to marry anybody.

And as I'm _hors de concours_, even that hope is ended." She flushed; her lips parted, but she checked what she had meant to say, and they walked forward together in silence for a while until she had made up her mind what to say and how to express it: "Captain Selwyn, there are two things that you do which seem to me unfair.