nd a clump of trees to a spot where the pine needles were
thick, just out of sight of the cabin door. No doubt but Rosamond and
Stephen liked to have things to themselves; there was no pretence about
that. It was almost the anniversary of their marriage--their most happy
marriage.

Roberta stood still upon the porch, looking, or appearing to look, off
at the sunset. Once again she would have liked to run away. But--where
to go? Rosamond and Stephen did not want her; it would have been absurd
to insist on following them. If she herself should stroll away among the
pine trees, she would, of course, be instantly pursued. The porch was
undoubtedly the most open and therefore the safest spot she could be in.
So she leaned against the pillar and waited, her heart behaving
disturbingly meanwhile. She could hear Richard, within the cabin
hurriedly clearing the table and stuffing everything away into the
cupboards on either side of the fireplace--he was making short work of
it. Before she could have much time to think, his step was upon the
porch behind her; he was standing by her shoulder.

"It's a wonderful effect, isn't it? Must we talk about it?" he inquired
softly.

"Don't you think it deserves to be talked about?" she answered, trying
to speak naturally.

"No. There's only one thing in the world I want to talk about. I can't
even see that sky, for looking at--you. I've stood at the top of this
slope more times than I can tell you, wondering if I should dare to
build this little cabin. The idea possessed me, I couldn't get away from
it. I bought the land--and still I was afraid. I gave the order to the
builder--and all but took it back. I knew I ran every kind of risk that
you wouldn't understand me--that you would think I still had that
abominable confidence that I was fool enough to express to you
last--February. Does it look so?"

She nodded slowly without turning her head.

His voice grew even more solicitous; she could hear a little tremble in
it, such as surely had not been there last February, such as she had
never heard there before. "But it isn't so! With every log that's gone
in, a fresh fear has gone in with it. Even on the way here to-day I had
all I could do not to turn off some other way. The only thing that kept
me coming on to meet my fate here, and nowhere else, was the hope that
you loved the spot itself so well that you--that your heart would be a
bit softer here than--somewhere else. O Roberta--I'