The sight of her excited a thrill in his veins, deny it how he would.
She scanned the long rows of books, the strange weapons, the heroic and sinister flags, the cases of butterflies.

With each inspection she stepped nearer and nearer, till by reaching out his hand he might have touched her.

Quietly he rose.

It was a critical moment.
She was startled.

She had thought she was alone.
"Pardon me," she said, in a low, musical voice; "I did not know that any one was here." And then she saw his face.