_The_ One!
At last she arrived. The garden door was pushed, the bell rang, and she
came across the lawn, radiant and tall and swift, and opened wide her
arms. And there, with our little world around us--all that we had ever
loved and cared for, but quite unseen and unheard by them--for the first
time in my life since my mother and Madame Seraskier had died I held a
woman in my arms, and she pressed her lips to mine.
[Illustration: "AT LAST SHE ARRIVED."]
Round and round the lawn we walked and talked, as we had often done
fifteen, sixteen, twenty years ago. There were many things to say. "The
Charming Prince" and the "Fairy Tarapatapoum" were "prettily well
together"--at last!
The time sped quickly--far too quickly. I said--
"You told me I should see your house--'Parva sed Apta'--that I should
find much to interest me there." ...
She blushed a little and smiled, and said--
"You mustn't expect _too_ much," and we soon found ourselves walking
thither up the avenue. Thus we had often walked as children, and once--a
memorable once--besides.
There stood the little white house with its golden legend, as I had seen
it a thousand times when a boy--a hundred since.
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