godsend, for her plan of getting Mike
to drive her over in the spring cart had not been met with favor.

Waiting at the gateway, she had seen Ralph and Cicely walk up the hill,
and watched them standing together, ever and ever so long, looking at the
sky, and she had kept her eyes on them as they came down the hill,
stopped to pick flowers which he gave to her, and until they had
disappeared among the trees of the orchard.

"Upon my word an' honor!" ejaculated Mrs. Robinson, "if that old French
slop-cook hasn't lied to me, wus than Satan could do hisself! If them
two ain't lovers, there never was none, an' that old heathen sinner
thought she could clap a coffee bag over my head so that I couldn't see
nothin' nor tell nothin'. She might as well a' slapped me in the face,
the sarpent!"

And unable, by reason of her indignation, to stand still any longer, she
walked up the road to meet the returning oxcart, whose wheels could be
heard rumbling in the distance.

La Fleur had seen the couple standing together on the little hill, but
she had thought it a pity to disturb their tete-a-tete.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

CICELY READS BY MOONLIGHT

Just before Cicely reached the back piazza, La Fleur came out of the
kitchen door with the telegram in her hand.

"Do you know," she said, "if Mr. Haverley has come home, and where I can
find him? Here is a message for him, and I have been looking for him,
high and low."

"A telegram!" exclaimed Cicely. "He is at the barn. I will take it to
him. I can get there sooner than you can, La Fleur," and without further
word, she took the yellow missive and ran with it toward the barn. She
met Ralph half way, and stood by him while he read the message.

"I hope," she cried as she looked into his pale face, "that nothing has
happened to Miriam."

"Read that," he said, his voice trembling. "Do you suppose--" but he
could not utter the words that were in his mind.

Cicely seized the telegram and eagerly read it. She was on the point of
screaming, but checked herself.

"How terrible!" she exclaimed. "But what can it mean? It is from Miss
Panney. Oh! I think it is wicked to send a message like that, which does
not tell you what has happened."

"It must be Miriam," cried Ralph. "I must go instantly," and at the top
of his voice he shouted for Mike. The man soon appeared, running.

"Mike!" exclaimed Ralph, "there has been an accident, something has
happened to Miss Miriam. I must go i