Twenty-eight AND AFTER

“That was a mighty¹ good toast, Jane,” said Mr. Hersheimmer, as he and hiscousin were being driven back in the Rolls-Royce to the Ritz.
“The one to the joint² venture?”
“No—the one to you. There isn’t another girl in the world who couldhave carried it through as you did. You were just wonderful!”
Jane shook her head.
“I don’t feel wonderful. At heart I’m just tired and lonesome—and long-ing for my own country.”
“That brings me to something I wanted to say. I heard the Ambassadortelling you his wife hoped you would come to them at the Embassy rightaway. That’s good enough, but I’ve got another plan. Jane—I want you tomarry me! Don’t get scared and say no at once. You can’t love me rightaway, of course, that’s impossible. But I’ve loved you from the very mo-ment I set eyes on your photo—and now I’ve seen you I’m simply crazyabout you! If you’ll only marry me, I won’t worry you any—you shall takeyour own time. Maybe you’ll never come to love me, and if that’s the caseI’ll manage to set you free. But I want the right to look after you, and takecare of you.”
“That’s what I want,” said the girl wistfully. “Someone who’ll be good tome. Oh, you don’t know how lonesome I feel!”
“Sure thing I do. Then I guess that’s all fixed³ up, and I’ll see the arch-bishop about a special licence tomorrow morning.”
“Oh, Julius!”
“Well, I don’t want to hustle⁴ you any, Jane, but there’s no sense in wait-ing about. Don’t be scared—I shan’t expect you to love me all at once.”
But a small hand was slipped into his.
“I love you now, Julius,” said Jane Finn. “I loved you that first moment inthe car when the bullet grazed your cheek. .?.?.”
Five minutes later Jane murmured softly:
“I don’t know London very well, Julius, but is it such a very long wayfrom the Savoy to the Ritz?”
“It depends how you go,” explained Julius unblushingly. “We’re going byway of Regent’s Park!”
“Oh, Julius—what will the

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