He held her closer and closer to his heart, so that its fierce throbbing beat against her own.  “You shan’t die,” he said, “you can’t die—­with me here.”

She laughed a little, sobbingly.  “You saved Tommy—­twice over.  I knew you would save me—­if you came in time.  Oh, darling, how I have wanted you!  It’s been—­so dark and terrible.”

“But you held on!” Monck’s voice was very low; it came with a manifest effort.  He was holding her to his breast as if he could never let her go.

“Yes, I held on.  I knew—­I knew—­how—­how it would hurt you—­to find me gone.”  Her trembling hands moved fondly about his head and finally clasped his neck.  “It’s all right now,” she said, with a sigh of deep content.

Monck’s lips pressed hers again and again, and Mrs. Ralston went away to the window to hide her tears.  “Please, God, don’t separate them now!” she whispered.

It was many minutes later that Stella spoke again, softly, into Monck’s ear.  “Everard—­darling husband—­the baby—­our baby—­don’t you—­wouldn’t you like to see it?”

“The baby!” He spoke as if startled.  Somehow he had concluded from the first that the baby would be dead, and the rapture of finding her still living had driven the thought of everything else from his mind.

“Don’t move!” whispered Stella, clasping him closer.  “Ask them to bring it!”

He spoke over his shoulder to Mrs. Ralston, his voice oddly cold, almost reluctant.  “Would you be good enough to bring the baby in?”

She turned at once, smiling upon him shakily.  But his dark face remained wholly inscrutable, wholly unresponsive.  There was something about him that smote her with a curious chill, but she told herself that he was worn out with hard travel and anxiety as she went from the room to comply with his curt request.

Lying against his shoulder, Stella whispered a few halting sentences.  “It—­happened so suddenly.  The Rajah drives so fiercely—­like a man possessed.  And the car skidded on the hill.  Netta Ermsted was in it, and she screamed, and I—­I was terrified because Tessa—­Tessa—­brave mite—­sprang in front of me.  I don’t know what she thought she could do.  I think partly she was angry, and lost her head.  And she meant—­to help—­to protect me—­somehow.  After that, I fainted—­and when I came round, they had brought me back here.  That was ever so long ago.”  She shuddered convulsively.  “I’ve been through a lot since then.”

Monck’s teeth closed upon his lip.  He had not suspected an accident.

Tremulously Stella went on.  “It—­was so much too soon.  I was—­dreadfully—­afraid for the poor wee baby.  But the doctor said—­the doctor said—­it was all right—­only small.  And oh, Everard—­” her voice thrilled again with a quivering joy—­“it is a boy.  I so wanted—­a son—­for you.”

“God bless you!” he said almost inarticulately, and kissed her white face again burningly, even with violence.  She smiled at his intensity, though it made her gasp.  “I know—­I know—­you will be great,” she said.  “And—­your son—­must carry on your greatness.  He shall learn to love—­the Empire—­as you do.  We will teach him together—­you and I.”