It was as much as she could do to utter those concluding words. The tears she might not repress were stealing silently down her cheeks, and small, dark patches showed where the tightly drawn veil touched the corners of her mouth. The hotel porch was visible between two clumps of tropical shrubbery, and, when a mule-drawn street-car moved out of the way, Power saw Sinclair's tall, thin figure standing in the doorway. Evidently, his glance was searching the gardens for the missing pair, and the departure of the tram rendered them visible. He raised a hand, and opened and closed it twice. Power waved comprehension, and Sinclair vanished. Perhaps he had a shrewd notion of the subject of their talk, and was minded not to disturb them till the last moment.
"I take it your father means that we still have ten minutes at our disposal," said Power.
The girl nodded. If she spoke then, she would have screamed.
"You have relieved me of a highly disagreeable task," he went on composedly. "Of course, I accept none of the unkind and unjust strictures you passed on yourself. This has been a strange wooing; but it is the best apology for the real thing I can contrive in the conditions. Some day, soon, I shall take you in my arms and tell you that I love you. When that day dawns, I shall be hindered by no ghosts; none other, that is, than a lurking fear lest such a wreck of a man may not be deemed worthy of the pure, sweet love of a woman like you. Good God! Can it be possible that so great a happiness is entering into my broken life?"
Then the delirium of joy vanquished the girl's fears, and she contrived to say haltingly:
"Derry, do you really care for me? Do you think that such a poor scarecrow as I can make you forget all that you have endured?"
He laughed, and the blithe ring of his mirth was so eloquent of his real feelings that the blood raced in her veins like quicksilver.
"We must begin by refusing to call each other hard names," he cried. "In truth, I regard myself as a tolerably compact wreck, while 'scarecrow,' as applied to you, would make a cat laugh. Suppose we stick to 'Derry' and 'Meg' until the wonder passes, and we venture among those endearing terms in which our language is so rich. But, if you must have my opinion about your face--if you won't be happy till you get it--I want to tell you now that before I kiss your lips I shall kiss that dear, scarred cheek, because I know well that, by God's providence, when the Indians thrust you into the flames of your ranch, a mark was set on you that reserved you for me. Were it not for that, you could never have waited for me during the long years since we traveled together on the _Panama_. Why, Meg, there is no woman to compare with you in all this great city! But, look here! Confound my impudence! Man-like, I blandly ignore my own defects. How about my limp?"