Part 37 (2/2)

”In what way?” she whispered faintly; ”Tell me! I--I--cannot believe it!”

”Gloria,--Gloria! My love, my darling! Do not tremble so! Do not fear!

I have not deceived you in any evil way,--what I have done was for your good and mine; but now--now there is no longer any need of deception,--you may, and _shall_ know all the truth, my wife, my dearest in the world! You shall know me as I truly am at last!”

She moved restlessly in his strong clasp,--she was trembling from head to foot, as if her blood was suddenly chilled.

”As you truly are!” she echoed, with pale lips--”Are you not then what I have believed you to be?”

And she made an effort to withdraw herself entirely from his embrace.

But he held her fast.

”I am your husband, Gloria!” he said, ”and you are my wife! Nothing can alter that; nothing can change our love or disunite our lives. But I am not the poor naval officer I have represented myself to be!--though I am glad I adopted such a disguise, because by its aid I wooed and won your love! I am not in the service of the Crown Prince,--except in so far as I serve my own needs! Why, how you tremble!”--and he held her closer--”Do not be afraid, my darling! Lift up your eyes and look at me with your own sweet trusting look,--do not turn away from me, because instead of being the Prince's servant, I am the Prince himself!”

”The Prince!” And with a cry of utter desolation, Gloria wrenched herself out of his arms, and stood apart, looking at him in wild alarm and bewilderment. ”The Prince! You--you!--my husband! You,--the King's son! And you have married _me_!--oh, how cruel of you!--how cruel!--how cruel!”

Covering her face with her hands, she broke into a low sobbing,--and the Prince, cut to the heart by her distress, caught her again in his arms.

”Hush, Gloria!” he said, with an accent of authority, though his own voice was tremulous; ”You must not grieve like this! You will break my heart! Do you not understand? Do you not see that all my life is bound up in you?--that I give it to you to do what you will with?--that I care nothing for rank, state or throne without you?--that I will let all the world go rather than lose you? Gloria, do not weep so!--do not weep!

Every tear of yours is a pang to me! What does it matter whether I am prince or commoner? I love you!--we love each other!--we are one in the sight of Heaven!”

He held her pa.s.sionately in his arms, kissing the soft cl.u.s.ters of hair that fell against his breast, and whispering all the tenderest words of endearment he could think of to console and soothe her anguish. By degrees she grew calmer, and her sobs gradually ceased. Das.h.i.+ng the tears from her eyes, she looked up,--her face white as marble.

”You must not tell Ronsard!” she said in faint tones that shook with fear; ”He would kill you!”

The Prince smiled indulgently; his only thought was for her, and so long as he could dry her tears, Ronsard's rage or pleasure was nothing to him.

”He would kill you!” repeated Gloria, with wide open tear-wet eyes; ”He hates all kings, in his heart!--and if he knew that you--_you_--my husband,--were what you say you are;--if he thought you had married me under a disguise, only to leave me and never to want me any more----”

”Gloria, Gloria!” cried the Prince, in despair; ”Why will you say such things! Never to want you any more! I want you all my life, and every moment of that life! Gloria, you must listen to me--you must not turn from me at the very time I need you most! Are you not brave? Are you not true? Do you not love me?”

With a pathetic gesture she stretched out her hands to him.

”Oh, yes, I love you!” she said; ”I love you with all my heart! But you have deceived me!--my dearest, you have deceived me! And if you had only told me the truth, I would never,--for your own sake,--have married you!”

”I know that!” said the Prince; ”And that is why I determined to win you under the mask of poverty! Now listen, my Princess and my Queen!--for you are both! I want all your help--all your love--all your trust! Do not be afraid of Ronsard; he will, he can do nothing to harm me! You are my wife, Gloria,--you have promised before G.o.d to obey me! I claim your obedience!”

She stood silent, looking at him,--pale and fair as an ivory statue of Psyche, seen against the dark background of the heavily-branched trees.

Her mind was stunned and confused; she had not yet grasped the full consciousness of her position,--but as he spoke, the old primitive lessons of faith, steadfastness of purpose, and unwavering love and trust in G.o.d, which her adopted father had instilled into her from childhood, rose and a.s.serted their sway over her startled, but unspoilt soul.

”You need not claim it!” she said, slowly; ”It is yours always! I shall do whatever you tell me, even if you command me to die for your sake!”

With a swift impulsive action, full of grace and spirit, he dropped on one knee and kissed her hand.

”And so I pledge my faith to my Queen!” he said joyously. ”Gloria! my 'Glory-of-the-Sea'!--you will forgive me for having in this one thing misled you? Think of me as your sailor lover still!--it is a much harder thing to be a king's son than a simple, independent seafarer! Pity me for my position, and help me to make it endurable! Come now with me down to that rocky nook on the sh.o.r.e where I first saw you,--and I will tell you exactly how everything stands,--and how I trust to your love for me and your courage, to clear away all the difficulties before us. You do not love me less?”

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