“I did.  I do, I mean—­but not that way.  He—­he—­Oh, I really like him,” she cried tremulously, “but not—­we’ve had it all out and everything’s all over.  I’m sorry—­sorry—­but he’ll be really glad bye and bye.  For my story shocked him terribly....  And then there’s Lady Claire.  He didn’t like to have her down with you even when he was up with me.”  She laughed softly.  “Oh, I shouldn’t have let him be so friendly here but I did like him and you—­you were so—­so hateful.”

The moon and stars whirled giddily around him as he put his arms about her.  Like a man in a dream he drew her to him.

“I love you—­love you,” he said huskily over the bright maze of hair.

“You don’t!” came with muffled intensity from the hidden lips.  “You said to that man—­when I was in that cave—­’Nothing doing!’”

“It wasn’t his affair—­I hadn’t a hope....  Oh, my dear, my dear, I’ve been breaking my heart——­”

“And I’ve had such a perfectly h-hateful three days,” sobbed the voice.

His arms closed tighter about her, incredible of their happiness.

“Oh, Arlee, I can’t tell you—­I haven’t words——­”

“I’ve had deeds!” she whispered.

Through his rocking mind darted a memory of her earlier speech to him.  “You said you didn’t want words.  Arlee—­will you?”

She flung back her head and looked up at him, her face a flower, her eyes like stars tangled in the bright mist of her hair.

“Billy, what’s your middle name?”

“Bunker....  I can’t help it, dear.  They wished it on me and asked me not to let it go.  But Bunker Hill——!”

“It’s a wonderful name, Billy!  A perfectly irresistible name!” Her eyes laughed up at him through a dazzle of tears, and prankishly over her curving lips hovered a mischievous dimple.  “It’s a name—­that—­I—­simply—­can’t—­do—­without—­Billy Bunker Hill!”

The dimple deepened then fled before its just deserts.  For if ever a dimple deserved to be caught and kissed that was the one.