back, smiling contemptuously at the leveled rifles; he saw again the flickering candles at the Virgin’s feet—— “Very well,” he said, abruptly— almost harshly. “I consent.” [Pg 68] [Pg 68] Before he could draw back, she had flung herself on her knees before him, had caught his hand, and was covering it with tears and kisses. “Come, come, my dear,” he said. “That won’t do!” And he bent over her and raised her to her feet. She was shaken with great sobs, and as she turned her streaming eyes up to him, her lips moving as if in prayer, Stewart saw how young she was, how lonely, how beautiful, how greatly in need of help. She had been fighting for her country with all her strength, with every resource, desperately, every nerve a-strain—and victory had been too much for her. But in a moment she had back her self-control. “There, it is finished!” she said, smiling through her tears. “But the joy of your words was almost too great. I shall not behave like that again. And I shall not try to thank you. I think you understand—I cannot thank you—there are no words great enough.” Stewart nodded, smilingly. “Yes; I understand,” he said. “We have many things to do,” she went on, rapidly, passing her handkerchief across her eyes with the gesture of one who puts sentiment aside. [Pg 69]“First, the passport,” and she caught it up from the chair on which she had laid it. [Pg 69] “I would point out to you,” said Stewart, “that there may be a certain danger in adding the words you mentioned.” “But it is precisely for those words this blank space has been left.” “That may be true; but unless your handwriting is identical with that on the rest of the passport, and the ink the same, the first person who looks at it will detect the forgery.” “Trust me,” she said, and drawing a chair to the table, laid the passport before her and studied it carefully. From the little bag she had carried on her arm, she took a fountain-pen. She
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