“Oh! angel of my destiny, what can I render you for all the blessings you have brought me?” exclaimed her lover, clasping her to his bosom in a close embrace.

“Your love—­your love! which will crown me a queen among women!” she whispered, softly.

The morning succeeding this scene, Lord Arondelle called and asked for a private interview with Sir Lemuel Levison.

He was invited up into the library, where he found the banker alone among his books.

“Good morning, Arondelle.  Glad to see you.  Take this chair,” said the old gentleman, rising, shaking hands with his visitor, and placing a seat for him.

The young marquis returned the hearty shake of the banker’s hand, and took the offered chair.

“Now, I suppose that you have come to tell me that you have taken up the girl I flung at your head about a month ago?” said the banker, rubbing his hands.

“No, nothing of the sort,” replied the young marquis, effectually declining to understand the jest of his host.  “I do not remember that you ever flung any girl at my head.  I came, Sir Lemuel, to tell you that I am so happy as to have won Miss Levison’s consent to be my wife, if we have your approbation,” he added, with a bow.

“Humph!  It amounts to about the same thing.  Well, my dear boy, you have my consent and blessing on two conditions.”

“Name them, Sir Lemuel.”

“The first is, that you can assure me on your honor that you really do love my daughter.  I would not give her to an emperor who did not love her as she deserves to be loved,” said the banker, emphatically.

“Love her!” repeated the young man, in a deep and earnest tone.  “Love is scarcely the word, nor adoration, nor worship!  She is the soul of my soul!  She lives in my life, and my life is the larger, higher, holier for her!”

“Humph!  I don’t understand one word of what you are talking about, but I suppose it means that you really do love Salome.  So the first condition will be fulfilled,” said the banker, with a smile.

“And the second, sir.  What is the second?”

“The second is, that the marriage shall take place within a month from this time.”

“Agreed, sir.  The sooner the better.  The sooner I may call your lovely daughter mine, the sooner I shall be the most blessed among men,” exclaimed the young marquis, earnestly clapping his palm into the open hand of the banker, and shaking it heartily.

“There! well, the second condition will be fulfilled.  And now I will tell you what I never told you in so many words before, namely, that on the day Salome Levison becomes Marchioness of Arondelle, I will give her Lone as a marriage portion.  There, now, not a word more upon that subject.  I will send a message to my attorney to meet us here to-morrow morning,” said the banker, rising and ringing the bell.

“You will let me thank—­” began the marquis.