Kistna straightened herself and turned to look at the water beneath her.

With a shock of sheer horror the Marquis of Alchester realized what she intended to do. He reached her in a few strides and when he was beside her and his hands went out to take hold of her, she gave a little cry.

"No... no! Go... away! Leave me alone... you are not to... stop me!"

The Marquis's arms tightened about her. "Why should you want to do anything so crazy and so utterly and completely mad?"

As if she knew any further struggle would be futile, she suddenly went limp and her head rested against his shoulder.

As he looked down at her, he could see the unhappiness in her eyes and the tear stains on her cheeks. She had changed and become very different from the miserable starving creature who he had thought at first was so ugly.

Now she had a beauty that was different from anything he had seen in any other woman and as he felt her trembling, he knew that never before in his whole life had he felt as he was feeling now.

Her eyes looked into his, and in a broken little voice she whispered: "I... I... love you... I... cannot... help it... I love... you."