advent of their love.

The spring of tenderness which had burst forth within her at sight of
Adam's humility and subsequent despair had taken Eve by surprise. She
knew, and had known for some time, that much within her was capable of
answering to the demands which Adam's pleading love would most probably
require; but that he had inspired her with a passion which would make
her lay her heart at his feet, feeling for the time that, though he
trampled on it, there it must stay, was a revelation entirely new, and,
to Eve's temperament, rather humiliating. She had never felt any
sympathy with those lovesick maidens whose very existence seemed
swallowed up in another's being, and had been proudly confident that
even when supplicated she should never seem to stoop lower than to
accept. Therefore, just as we experience a sense of failure when we find
our discernment led astray in our perception of a friend, so now,
although she studiously avoided acknowledging it, she had the
consciousness that she had utterly misconceived her own character, and
that the balance by which she had adjusted the strength of her emotions
had been a false one. A dread ran through her lest she should be seized
hold upon by some further inconsistency, and she resolved to set a watch
on the outposts of her senses, so that they might not betray her into
further weakness.

These thoughts were still agitating her mind when Joan suddenly awoke,
and after a time roused herself sufficiently to say, "Why, whatever made
you pop off in such a hurry last night, Eve? I runned in a little after
ten, and there wasn't no signs of you nowheres; and then I come upon
Adam, and he told me you was gone up to bed."

"Yes," said Eve: "I was so tired, and my foot began to ache again, so I
thought there wasn't any use in my sitting up any longer. But you were
very late, Joan, weren't you?"

"Very early, more like," said Joan: "'twas past wan before I shut my
eyes. Why, I come home three times to see if uncle was back; and then I
wouldn't stand it no longer, so I went and fetched un."

"What, not from--where he was?" exclaimed Eve.

Joan nodded her head. "Oh Lors!" she said, "'tain't the fust time by
many; and," she added in a tone of satisfaction, "I lets 'em know when
they've brought Joan Hocken down among 'em. I had Jerrem out, and uncle
atop of un, 'fore they knawed where they was. Awh, I don't stand beggin'
and prayin', not I: 'tis 'whether or no, Tom Collins,' when