, and the scene was steeped in vivid
hues: ocher, lemon, and coppery red below, dazzling blue above.

Prescott drove the leading binder and when it drew nearer she followed
his movements with careful scrutiny. She admitted that the man aroused
her interest. He was wonderfully virile, sanguine, and hopeful, with a
trace of what she thought of as the primitive strain; which tended toward
physical perfection; his vigor and muscular symmetry had their effect on
her. Though her father was a man of means and influence, her circle of
acquaintances had been restricted by the narrowness of his views; and the
men with whom she had been brought into contact were, for the most part,
distinguished rather by unexceptional morals and sound opinions than by
bodily grace and original thought.

By disposition as well as training Gertrude was a formalist and a prude,
but she was human and she unconsciously obeyed a law of nature which
ordains the union of the dissimilar. This was why, having met only men of
her own kind hitherto, she had escaped the touch of passion and now felt
drawn toward one who greatly differed from her.

After a while Prescott stopped his binder and opened a box attached to
it. He closed it sharply, as if annoyed, called to one of the men
gathering up the sheaves, and then walked toward the house.

"Run out of twine; I'll have to get some," he explained to Gertrude.

"You look tired," she said, stopping him. "You have been working very
hard."

"I don't feel quite as bright as usual," he confessed. "It's the heat, I
think, but I've turned out at four o'clock every morning since harvest
began."

"Then why not take a few minutes' rest? I'll make you a cup of tea; I was
going in to get some ready. It's an English custom."

He indicated his attire.

"I'd be glad, but I haven't time to make myself presentable."

"I'll excuse that." Gertrude smiled and added with unusual boldness: "You
don't seem to know that your dress is really most artistic. It suits
you."

He bowed to her.

"I'm flattered. This costume was adopted with a view to economy and
comfort. The worst of a man's wearing smart clothes is that whenever he
wants to do anything useful he has to take them off."

"Is that a great trouble?"

"It takes a lot of valuable time," he answered with a smile.

They turned toward the house, and after getting the twine he joined her
in a cool, shadowy room. Gertrude was watching a silver spirit-lamp; near
whi