"How foolish!" she breathed; but, ah! the joy, the innocent pride that
shone in her eyes! "You must have met, known, hundreds of beautiful
women. I never thought that I--that any one could care for me----"

"Because there's not a spark of vanity in my Nell, thank God!" he said.
"See here, dearest, you speak of other women--it is because you are
unlike any other woman I have ever known--thank God again!--because you
are so. Ah, Nell! it's easier to love you than to tell you why. All I
know is that I'm the happiest man on earth; that I don't deserve----"
His voice grew grave and his face clouded. "The best of us doesn't
deserve the love of the worst woman; and I, who have got the sweetest,
the dearest----Ah, Nell! if you knew how bad a bargain you have made!"

She laid her face against his hand, and her lips touched it with a kiss,
and she laughed softly, as one laughs for mere joy which pants for
adequate expression.

"I am satisfied--ah, yes! I am satisfied!" she whispered. "It is you who
have made the bad bargain--an ignorant girl--just a girl! Why, Dick will
laugh at you! And mamma will think you are too foolish for words."

He looked down at her--he was sitting on the bowlder now, and she was on
the sand at his feet, her head resting against him, his arm round her.