Above the Trap-Doors

She seemed suddenly almost unable to contain an overpowering gaiety.
She clapped her hands with childish glee. Raoul stared at her in
amazement.

"But ... but," she continued, holding out her two hands to Raoul, or
rather giving them to him, as though she had suddenly resolved to make
him a present of them, "but if we can not be married, we can ... we can
be engaged! Nobody will know but ourselves, Raoul. There have been
plenty of secret marriages: why not a secret engagement? ... We are
engaged, dear, for a month! In a month, you will go away, and I can be
happy at the thought of that month all my life long!"

She was enchanted with her inspiration. Then she became serious again.

"This," she said, "IS A HAPPINESS THAT WILL HARM NO ONE."

Raoul jumped at the idea. He bowed to Christine and said: "Mademoiselle, I have the honor to ask for your hand."

"Why, you have both of them already, my dear betrothed! ... Oh, Raoul,
how happy we shall be! ... We must play at being engaged all day long."

It was the prettiest game in the world and they enjoyed it like the
children that they were. Oh, the wonderful speeches they made to each
other and the eternal vows they exchanged! They played at hearts as
other children might play at ball; only, as it was really their two
hearts that they flung to and fro, they had to be very, very handy to
catch them, each time, without hurting them.