Then slowly he gathered up his courage for an effort, and, raising his face to the level of her own, he kissed her full upon her lips.  She stirred, she sighed.  He had broken the spell; the sweet face that had withdrawn itself drew nearer to him; for a second the awakened eyes looked into his own, and filled them with reflected splendour, and then he became aware of a warm arm thrown about his neck, and next—­ the stars grew dim, and sense and life itself seemed to shake upon their thrones, for a joy almost too great for mortal man to bear took possession of his heart as she laid her willing lips upon his own.  And then, before he knew her purpose, she slid down upon her knees beside him, and placed her head upon her breast.

“Dearest,” he said, “don’t kneel so; look at me.”

Slowly she raised her face, wreathed and lovely with many blushes, and looked upon him with tearful eyes.  He tried to raise her.

“Let me be,” she said, speaking very low.  “I am best so; it is the attitude of adoration, and I have found—­my divinity.”

“But I cannot bear to see you kneel to me.”

“Oh!  Arthur, you do not understand; a minute since I did not understand that a woman is very humble when she really loves.

“Do you—­really love me, Angela?”

“I do.”

“Have you known that long?”

“I only knew it when—­when you kissed me.  Before then there was something in my heart, but I did not know what it was.  Listen, dear,” she went on, “for one minute to me first, and I will get up” (for he was again attempting to raise her).  “What I have to say is best said upon my knees, for I want to thank God who sent you to me, and to thank you too for your goodness.  It is so wonderful that you should love a simple girl like me, and I am so thankful to you.  Oh!  I have never lived till now, and” (rising to her full stature) “I feel as though I had been crowned a queen of happy things.  Dethrone me, desert me, and I will still be grateful to you for this hour of imperial happiness.  But if you, after a while, when you know all my faults and imperfections better, can still care for me, I know that there is something in me that will enable me to repay you for what you have given me, by making your whole life happy.  Dear, I do not know if I speak as other women do, but, believe me, it is out of the fulness of my heart.  Take care, Arthur, oh! take care, lest your fate should be that of the magician you spoke of the other day, who evoked the spirit, and then fell down before it in terror.  You have also called up a spirit, and I pray that it was not done in sport, lest it should trouble you hereafter.”

“Angela, do not speak so to me; it is I who should have knelt to you.  Yes, you were right when you called yourself ’a queen of happy things.’  You are a queen——­”

“Hush!  Don’t overrate me; your disillusion will be the more painful.  Come, Arthur, let us go home.”