is hounding stands to-day?"

The Judge essayed to answer, and could not. He lifted his hand
uncertainly and dropped it, while a thick dew gathered on his temples.
Inarticulate sounds came from between his teeth.

"You will come?" said Joe.

Martin Pike bent his head dazedly; and at that the other turned quickly
from him and went away without looking back.

Ariel was in the studio, half an hour later, when Joe was announced by
the smiling Mr. Warden. Ladew was with her, though upon the point of
taking his leave, and Joe marked (with a sinking heart) that the young
minister's cheeks were flushed and his eyes very bright.

"It was a magnificent thing you did, Mr. Louden," he said, offering his
hand heartily; "I saw it, and it was even finer in one way than it was
plucky. It somehow straightened things out with such perfect good
nature; it made those people feel that what they were doing was
ridiculous."

"So it was," said Joe.

"Few, under the circumstances, could have acted as if they thought so!
And I hope you'll let me call upon you, Mr. Louden."

"I hope you will," he answered; and then, when the minister had
departed, stood looking after him with sad eyes, in which there dwelt
obscure meditations. Ladew's word of farewell had covered a deep look
at Ariel, which was not to be mistaken by Joseph Louden for anything
other than what it was: the clergyman's secret was an open one, and Joe
saw that he was as frank and manly in love as in all other things.
"He's a good fellow," he said at last, sighing. "A good man."

Ariel agreed. "And he said more to me than he did to you."

"Yes, I think it probable," Joe smiled sorrowfully.

"About YOU, I mean." He had time to fear that her look admitted
confusion before she proceeded: "He said he had never seen anything so
fine as your coming down those steps. Ah, he was right! But it was
harder for me to watch you, I think, than for you to do it, Joe. I was
so horribly afraid--and the crowd between us--if we could have got near
you--but we couldn't--we--"

She faltered, and pressed her hand close upon her eyes.

"We?" asked Joe, slowly. "You mean you and Mr. Ladew?"

"Yes, he was there; but I mean"--her voice ran into a little laugh with
a beatific quaver in it--"I mean Colonel Flitcroft and Mr. Bradbury and
Mr. Buckalew, too--we were hemmed in together when Mr. Ladew found
us--and, oh, Joe, when that cowardly rush started toward you, those
three--I've hear