They uttered no cry of surprise, of joy.  They stood for a moment looking at each other with their hearts in their eyes.  It was the moment that bridged over all the weary months of waiting, of longing, of doubts and fears, of hope that seemed too faint for hope and but a mockery of despair.

He had no need to ask her if she loved him, her face was eloquent of the truth; and her eyes reflected the love that glowed in his.  He had got hold of her hand before she knew it, had drawn her to him, and, utterly regardless of the fact that he was in a strange house, that they might be interrupted any moment, he kissed her passionately with all the passion that had been stored up for so long.

“Ida,” he said, as he bent over her and pressed her to him, “I have come back, I cannot live without you—­ah, but you know that, you know that.  Is it too late?  It is not too late?”

“No; it is not too late,” she whispered.  “I—­I did not know whether you would come.  But I have been waiting; I should have waited all my life.  But the time has been very long, Stafford!”

* * * * *

At the end of the quarter of an hour for which Howard had bargained, Lady Fitzharford opened the door of the inner room softly, so softly, that seeing Miss Heron in the arms of a stalwart young man, and apparently quite content to be there, her ladyship discreetly closed the door again, and going round by the inner room found Mr. Howard seated on the stairs.  She looked at him with amazement, well-nigh bewilderment.

“Are you mad?” she exclaimed, in a whisper.

Howard smiled at her blandly.

“No,” he said, with a backward jerk of his head, “but they are.  I’m told it’s a delicious kind of madness worth all your sanity.  Do not let us disturb them.  Come and sit down beside me until the time is up,” he glanced at his watch; “they have still three minutes.”

With a suppressed laugh she sat down beside him.

“You ought to be ashamed of yourself,” she said, “to play me such a trick.  But, oh, how happy they look!”

“I am ashamed of myself, my dear, lady,” he said; “but I should have been more ashamed of myself if I hadn’t.  Do they look happy?  We will go in and see presently.  It will be my great reward.  But I should like to give them another five minutes, dear lady, for I assure you, on my word of honour, that I was once young myself.”

THE END.