第1章

Shelovedhimso，thatwhenhewentawaytoalittlewarinwhichhiscountrywasinterestedshecouldnotunderstand，norquiteforgive。

Asthecorrespondentofanewspaper，Chestertonhadlookedonatotherwars；whentheyellowracesmet，whentheinfidelTurkspankedtheChristianGreek；andonehehadwatchedfrominsideaBritishsquare，wherehewasgreatlyalarmedlestheshouldbetrampleduponbyterrifiedcamels。Thishadhappenedbeforeheandshehadmet。Aftertheymet，shetoldhimthatwhatchanceshehadchosentotakebeforehecameintoherlifefelloutsideofherjurisdiction。Butnowthathislifebelongedtoher，thistalkofhisstandinguptobeshotatwaswicked。Itwasworsethanwicked；itwasabsurd。

WhentheMainesankinHavanaharborandtheword\"war\"wasappearinghourlyinhystericalextras，MissArmitageexplainedherposition。

\"Youmustn\'tthink，\"shesaid，\"thatIamoneofthosesillygirlswhowouldbegyounottogotowar。\"

Atthemomentofspeakinghercheekhappenedtoberestingagainsthis，andhisarmwasabouther，sohehumblybenthisheadandkissedher，andwhisperedveryproudlyandsoftly，\"No，dearest。\"

Atwhichshewithdrewfromhimfrowning。

\"No！I\'mnotabitlikethosegirls，\"sheproclaimed。\"ImerelytellyouYOUCAN\'TGO！Mygracious！\"shecried，helplessly。Sheknewthewordsfellshortofexpressingherdistress，buthereducationhadnotsuppliedherwithexclamationsofgreaterviolence。

\"Mygoodness！\"shecried。\"Howcanyoufrightenmeso？It\'snotlikeyou，\"shereproachedhim。\"Youaresounselfish，sonoble。

Youarealwaysthinkingofotherpeople。Howcanyoutalkofgoingtowar——tobekilled——tome？Andnow，nowthatyouhavemademeloveyouso？\"

Thehands，thatwhenshetalkedseemedtohimlikeswallowsdartingandflashinginthesunlight，clutchedhissleeve。Thefingers，thathewouldratherkissthanthelipsofanyotherwomanthateverlived，clungtohisarm。Theirclaspremindedhimofthatofadrowningchildhehadonceliftedfromthesurf。

\"Ifyoushoulddie，\"whisperedMissArmitage。\"WhatwouldIdo。

WhatwouldIdo！\"

\"Butmydearest，\"criedtheyoungman。\"MydearestONE！I\'veGOT

togo。It\'sourownwar。Everybodyelsewillgo，\"hepleaded。

\"Everymanyouknow，andthey\'regoingtofight，too。I\'mgoingonlytolookon。That\'sbadenough，isn\'tit，withoutsittingathome？YoushouldbesorryI\'mnotgoingtofight。\"

\"Sorry！\"exclaimedthegirl。\"Ifyouloveme——\"

\"IfIloveyou，\"shoutedtheyoungman。Hisvoicesuggestedthathewasabouttoshakeher。\"Howdareyou？\"

Sheabandonedthatpositionandattackedfromonemorelogical。

\"Butwhypunishme？\"sheprotested。\"DoIwantthewar？DoIwanttofreeCuba？No！IwantYOU，andifyougo，youaretheonewhoissuretobekilled。Youaresobig——andsobrave，andyouwillberushinginwhereverthefightingis，andthen——thenyouwilldie。\"Sheraisedhereyesandlookedathimasthoughseeinghimfromagreatdistance。\"And，\"sheaddedfatefully，\"Iwilldie，too，ormaybeIwillhavetolive，tolivewithoutyouforyears，formanymiserableyears。\"

Fearfully，withgreatcaution，asthoughinhisjoyinherhemightcrushherinhishands，theyoungmandrewhertohimandheldherclose。Afterasilencehewhispered。\"But，youknowthatnothingcanhappentome。Notnow，thatGodhasletmeloveyou。Hecouldnotbesocruel。Hewouldnothavegivenmesuchhappinesstotakeitfromme。Amanwholovesyou，asIloveyou，cannotcometoanyharm。AndthemanYOUloveisimmortal，immune。Heholdsacharmedlife。Solongasyoulovehim，hemustlive。\"

Theeyesofthegirlsmiledupathimthroughhertears。Sheliftedherlipstohis。\"Thenyouwillneverdie！\"shesaid。

Sheheldhimawayfromher。\"Listen！\"shewhispered。\"Whatyousayistrue。Itmustbetrue，becauseyouarealwaysright。I

loveyousothatnothingcanharmyou。Mylovewillbeacharm。

Itwillhangaroundyourneckandprotectyou，andkeepyou，andbringyoubacktome。Whenyouareindangermylovewillsaveyou。For，whileitlives，Ilive。Whenitdies——\"

Chestertonkissedherquickly。

\"Whathappensthen，\"hesaid，\"doesn\'tmatter。\"

Thewargamehadrunitshappy-go-luckycoursebrieflyandbrilliantly，with\"gloryenoughforall，\"evenforChesterton。

For，innopreviouscampaignhadgoodfortunesopersistentlystoodsmilingathiselbow。Ateachmomentofthewarthatwascritical，picturesque，dramatic，bysomeluckyaccidenthefoundhimselfamongthosepresent。Hecouldnotlose。EvenwhenhispressboatbrokedownatCardenas，aYankeecruiserandtwoSpanishgun-boats，apparentlyforhissolebenefit，engagedinanimpromptuduelwithinrangeofhismegaphone。Whenhishorsewentlame，thecolumnwithwhichhehadwishedtoadvance，passedforwardtothefrontunmolested，whiletherearguard，towhichhehadbeenforcedtojoinhisfortune，foughtitswaythroughthestiflingunderbrush。

Betweenhisnewsdespatches，whenhewasnotsingingthepraisesofhisfellow-countrymen，orcopyinglistsoftheirkilledandwounded，hewrotetoMissArmitage。Hisletterswerescrawledonyellowcopypaperandconsistedofrepetitionsofthethreewords，\"Iloveyou，\"rearranged，illuminated，andintensified。

Eachletterbeganmuchinthesameway。\"Thewarisstillgoingon。Youcanreadaboutitinthepapers。WhatIwantyoutoknowisthatIloveyouasnomanever——\"Andsoonformanypages。

Fromheronlyoneofthelettersshewrotereachedhim。ItwaspickedupinthesandatSiboneyafterthemedicalcorps，inanefforttowipeouttheyellow-fever，hadsetfiretothepost-

officetent。

ShehadwrittenitsomeweeksbeforefromhersummerhomeatNewport，andinitshesaid:\"Whenyouwenttothefront，IthoughtnowomancouldlovemorethanIdidthen。But，nowIknow。AtleastIknowonegirlwhocan。Shecannotwriteit。Shecannevertellyou。Youmustjustbelieve。

\"EachdayIhearfromyou，forassoonasthepapercomes，Itakeitdowntotherocksandreadyourcables，andIlooksouthacrosstheoceantoCuba，andtrytoseeyouinallthatfightingandheatandfever。ButIamnotafraid。ForeachmorningIwaketofindI

loveyoumore；thatithasgrownstronger，morewonderful，morehardtobear。AndIknowthecharmIgaveyougrowswithit，andismorepowerful，andthatitwillbringyoubacktomewearingnewhonors，\'bearingyoursheaveswithyou。\'