"Yes, I am wicked," I said; "but I never will be again--only just enough
to make you always love me, because Lady Ver says security makes yawns.
But even wicked people can love with a great, great love, and that can
keep them good. Oh, if he only knew how utterly I love you, Robert, I am
sure, sure, he would be kind to us!"
"Well, how shall we tell him?"
Then a thought came to me, and I felt all over a desperate thrill of
excitement.
"Will you do nothing until to-morrow?" I said. "I have an idea which I
will tell to no one. Let us go back to Claridge's now, and do not come and
see me again until to-morrow at twelve. Then, if this has failed we will
say good-bye. It is a desperate chance."
"And you won't tell me what it is?"
"No. Please trust me; it is my life as well as yours, remember."
"My queen!" he said. "Yes, I will do that, or anything else you wish, only
_never, never_ good-bye. I am a man, after all, and have numbers of
influential relations. I can do something else in life just be a
Guardsman, and we shall get enough money to live quite happily on, though
we might not be very grand people. I will never say good-bye--do you hear?
Promise me you will never say it, either."