had
slipped into her head she scarce knew when or how.

An odd and fragrant freshness seemed to cling to her making her almost
absurdly youthful, as though she had suddenly dropped back to her
girlhood. Clive noticed it.

"You look about sixteen," he said.

"My heart is younger, dear."

"How young?"

"You know when it was born, don't you? Very well, it is as many days
old as I have been in love with you. Before that it was a muscle
capable merely of sturdy friendship."

One day a packet came from New York for her. It contained two rings,
one magnificent, the other a plain circlet. She kissed him rather
shyly, wore both that evening, but not again.

"I am not ashamed," she explained serenely. "Folkways are now a matter
of indifference to me. Civilisation must offer me a better argument
than it has offered hitherto before I resign to it my right in you, or
deny your right to me."

He knew that civilisation would lock them out and remain unconcerned
as to what became of them. Doubtless she knew it too, as she sat there
sewing on the frail garment which lay across her knee and singing
blithely under her breath some air with cadence like a berceuse.

* * * * *

During the "Children's Hour" she sat beside him, always quiet; or if
stirred from her revery to a brief exchange of low-voiced words, she
soon relapsed once more into that happy, brooding silence by the
firelight.

Then came dinner, and the awakened gaiety of unquenched spirits; then
the blessed evening hours with him.

But the last hour of these she called _her_ hour; and always laid
aside her book or sewing, and slipped from the couch to the floor at
his feet, laying her head against his knees.

* * * * *

Snow came in December; and Christmas followed. They kept the mystic
festival alone together; and Athalie had a tiny tree lighted in the
room between hers and Clive's, and hung it with toys and picture
books.

It was very pretty in its tinsel and tinted globes; and its faint
light glimmered on the walls and dainty furniture of the dim pink
room.

Afterward Athalie laid away tinsel and toy, wrapping all safely in
tissue, as though to be kept secure and fresh for another
Christmas--the most wonderful that any girl could dream of. And
perhaps it was to be even more wonderful than Athalie had dreamed.

* * * * *

December turned very cold. The ice thic