The Harvester refilled the glass and the Girl drained it.

"Now won't you set aside these things and allow me to go to work?" she
asked. "My call may come any minute, and I'll never forgive myself if I
waste time, and don't draw your moth pattern for you."

"It's against my principles to hurry, and besides, my story isn't
finished."

"It is," said the Girl. "She is young and lovely, gentle and a lady, you
have her 'all solid,' and she can't 'escape'; that's the end, of course.
But if I were you, I wouldn't have her until I gave her a chance to get
away, and saw whether she would if she could."

"Oh I am not a jailer," said the Harvester. "She shall be free if I
cannot make her love me; but I can, and I will; I swear it."

"You are not truly in earnest?"

"I am in deadly earnest."

"Honestly, you dreamed about a girl, and found the very one?"

"Most certainly, I did."

"It sounds like the wildest romancing."

"It is the veriest reality."

"Well I hope you win her, and that she will be everything you desire."

"Thank you," said the Harvester. "It's written in the book of fate
that I succeed. The very elements are with me. The South Wind carried
a message to her for me. I am going to marry her, but you could make it
much easier for me if you would."

"I! What could I do?" cried the Girl.

"You could cease being afraid of me. You could learn to trust me. You
could try to like me, if you see anything likeable about me. That would
encourage me so that I could tell you of my Dream Girl, and then you
could show me how to win her. A woman always knows about those things
better than a man. You could be the greatest help in all the world to
me, if only you would."

"I couldn't possibly! I can't leave here. I have no proper clothing to
appear before another girl. She would be shocked at my white face. That
I could help you is the most improbable dream you have had."

"You must pardon me if I differ from you, and persist in thinking that
you can be of invaluable assistance to me, if you will. But you can't
influence my Dream Girl, if you fear and distrust me yourself. Promise
me that you will help me that much, anyway."

"I'll do all I can. I only want to make you see that I am in no position
to grant any favours, no matter how much I owe you or how I'd like to.
Is the candlestick you are carving for her?"

"It is," said the Harvester. "I am making a pair of maple to stand on a
dressing table I built for her. I