I could see I had moved her; and now I think over the scene I fancy that my appeal must have been a lot more touching than I imagined it was when I was making it.

She said:  ’I have always liked you a little.  But I haven’t loved you, and I don’t love you.’  And then, after a pause—­I was determined to say nothing more—­she said:  ’Yes, I will marry you.  I may be doing wrong—­I am certainly doing something very unusual; but I have no one to advise me against it, and I will follow my impulse and marry you.  I needn’t say that I shall do all I can to be a good wife to you.  Ours will be a curious marriage....  Perhaps, after all, I am very wicked!’

I cried out:  ’No, you aren’t—­no you aren’t!  The saints aren’t in it with you!’

She smiled at this speech.  She’s so sensible, Camilla is.  She’s like a man in some things; all really great women are.

I could tell you a lot more that passed immediately afterwards, but I can feel already my voice is getting a bit tired.  Besides, it’s nothing to you, Polycarp.

Then, afterwards, I said:  ‘You will love me, you know.’

And I meant it.  Any man in similar circumstances would have said it and meant it.  She smiled again.  And then I wanted to be alone with her, to enjoy the intimacy of her presence, without a lot of servants all over the place; so I went out of the drawing-room and packed off the whole tribe for the evening, all except Mrs. Dant.  I kept Mrs. Dant to attend on Camilla.

We had dinner sent up; it was like a picnic, jolly and childish.  Camilla was charming.  And then I took photographs of her by flashlight, with immense success.  We developed them together in the dark-room.  That evening was the first time I had ever been really happy in all my life.  And I was really happy, although every now and then the idea would shoot through my head:  ’Only for a year or two at most; perhaps only for a day or two!’

I returned to the dark-room alone for something or other, and when I came back into the drawing-room she was not there.  By heaven! my heart went into my mouth.  I feared she had run away, after all.  However, I met her in the passage.  She looked very frightened; her face was quite changed; but she said nothing had occurred.  I kissed her; she let me.

Soon afterwards she went on to the roof.  She tried to be cheerful, but I saw she had something on her mind.  She said she must go home, and begged my permission to precede me into the flat in order to prepare for her departure.  I consented.  When ten minutes had elapsed I followed, and in the drawing-room, instead of finding Camilla, I found Louis Ravengar.

I needn’t describe my surprise at all that.