'Look, Theodosia!' He turned her head and pointed through the drawing-room window. On a table before the window stood a small plaster bust of Bonaparte. 'He is to be crowned Emperor in a few weeks,' said Aaron softly. 'Do you dare to doubt that I am at least equal to that little Corsican peasant?'

He waited, watching, holding her thus, until he saw in her transparent face that all other emotions had been subdued, leaving only an awed conviction. He was profoundly sincere, and yet as always a portion of him held aloof, savoring the dramatic perfection of this moment. Here on this remote plantation porch he had created for her a vision, as he had for many others, the shimmering gold seduction of a crown.

'We, too, shall be royal, my Theo,' he added, very low. 'Now you believe, don't you?'

'I believe that you can do anything,' she whispered—'anything.'

His hand dropped. He turned abruptly from her, began to pace the porch as though to ease his body of its fierce energy.

'You must help,' he said presently.

'Yes, of course. How can I?'

'Joseph. The plan must be carefully presented to him. He will be part of it. '

Her heart sank. Dazzled as she was by her faith, she was not so blinded as to think Joseph would be convinced.

'He loves you,' said Aaron. 'Sooner or later he will do as you wish.'

A thought struck him, and he frowned. 'Though since I have been here, I've been troubled. I have fancied that there was a cloud between you. You do not seem in complete sympathy. And I notice that you no longer share a bedroom. I trust this has no special significance.'

Hot color flooded up into her hair. 'I have not always felt very well of late, as you know, and I—I——'

'Ah, then it was not his idea,' said Aaron, relieved. 'I feared that he had perhaps heard something of your—your interest in Captain Lewis.'

She gasped, shrinking back against the chair. 'I don't know what you mean.'

'My dear child, you need not play the ostrich with me. I'm not so stupid as you seem to think. There was unfortunately some gossip in Washington after you left. Nothing important, and I do not accuse you of infidelity, so you needn't look as though I were throwing stones at you. I simply wondered whether Joseph had conceived any inconvenient ideas.'

She sat very still. A hot current of pain ran through her. Aaron's knowledge, partial though it was, his cynical acceptance, the mention of gossip: these were ugly things: desecration. And yet, after all, no outside thing could really penetrate the shrine. That was a room in her heart to which no one but Merne had the key: not even Aaron.