ld distinguish
between truth and falsehood; and Mama set that mark on me, and I have
never told a lie since. She forgives anything but that. She will be our
friend; she will never forsake us, Evan, if we do not deceive her. Oh,
Evan! it never is of any use. But deceive her, and she cannot forgive
you. It is not in her nature.'

Evan paused before he replied: 'You have only to tell her what I have
told you. You know everything.'

Rose gave him a flying look of pain: 'Everything, Evan? What do I know?'

'Ah, Rose! do you compel me to repeat it?'

Bewildered, Rose thought: 'Have I slept and forgotten it?'

He saw the persistent grieved interrogation of her eyebrows.

'Well!' she sighed resignedly: 'I am yours; you know that, Evan.'

But he was a lover, and quarrelled with her sigh.

'It may well make you sad now, Rose.'

'Sad? no, that does not make me sad. No; but my hands are tied. I cannot
defend you or justify myself; and induce Mama to stand by us. Oh, Evan!
you love me! why can you not open your heart to me entirely, and trust
me?'

'More?' cried Evan: 'Can I trust you more?' He spoke of the letter: Rose
caught his hand.

'I never had it, Evan. You wrote it last night? and all was written in
it? I never saw it--but I know all.'

Their eyes fronted. The gates of Rose's were wide open, and he saw no
hurtful beasts or lurking snakes in the happy garden within, but Love,
like a fixed star.

'Then you know why I must leave, Rose.'

'Leave? Leave me? On the contrary, you must stay by me, and support me.
Why, Evan, we have to fight a battle.'

Much as he worshipped her, this intrepid directness of soul startled
him-almost humbled him. And her eyes shone with a firm cheerful light, as
she exclaimed: 'It makes me so happy to think you were the first to
mention this. You meant to be, and that's the same thing. I heard it this
morning: you wrote it last night. It's you I love, Evan. Your birth, and
what you were obliged to do--that's nothing. Of course I'm sorry for it,
dear. But I'm more sorry for the pain I must have sometimes put you to.
It happened through my mother's father being a merchant; and that side of
the family the men and women are quite sordid and unendurable; and that's
how it came that I spoke of disliking tradesmen. I little thought I
should ever love one sprung from that class.'

She turned to him tenderly.

'And in spite of what my birth is, you love me, Rose?'

'There's no spite in it