They gazed at each other. She smiled at him.
'You kissed me,' she said suddenly, and he blushed red and stood
up before her. 'Why did you kiss me?'
'Ah! Miss Racksole,' he murmured, hurrying the words out.
'Forgive me. It is unforgivable, but forgive me. I was overpowered
by my feelings. I did not know what I was doing.'
'Why did you kiss me?' she repeated.
'Because - Nella! I love you. I have no right to say it.'
'Why have you no right to say it?'
'If Eugen dies, I shall owe a duty to Posen - I shall be its ruler.'
'Well!' she said calmly, with an adorable confidence. 'Papa is worth
forty millions. Would you not abdicate?'
'Ah!' he gave a low cry. 'Will you force me to say these things? I
could not shirk my duty to Posen, and the reigning Prince of Posen
can only marry a Princess.'
'But Prince Eugen will live,' she said positively, 'and if he lives - '
'Then I shall be free. I would renounce all my rights to make you
mine, if - if - '
'If what, Prince?'
'If you would deign to accept my hand.'
'Am I, then, rich enough?'
'Nella!' He bent down to her.
Then there was a crash of breaking glass. Aribert went to the
window and opened it. In the starlit gloom he could see that a
ladder had been raised against the back of the house. He thought
he heard footsteps at the end of the garden.
'It was Jules,' he exclaimed to Nella, and without another word
rushed upstairs to the attic.
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