emed luminous.

"Will I have to fetch Master Scott to ye?" said Biddy, eyeing her
wistfully. "He's very tired, poor young man. There's two nights he's had
no sleep at all. Won't ye try and rest aisy for his sake, Miss Isabel
darlint? Ye can go up the mountain in the morning, and maybe that little
Miss Bathurst will like to go with ye. Do wait till the morning now!" she
wheedled, laying a wiry old hand upon her. "It's no Christian hour at all
for going about now."

"Let me go!" said Isabel.

Biddy's black eyes pleaded with a desperate earnestness. "If ye'd only
listen to reason, Miss Isabel!" she said.

"How can I listen," Isabel answered, "when I can hear his voice in my
heart calling, calling, calling! Oh, let me go, Biddy! You don't
understand, or you couldn't seek to hold me back from him."

"Mavourneen!" Biddy's eyes were full of tears; the hand she had laid upon
Isabel's arm trembled. "It isn't meself that's holding ye back. It's God.
He'll join the two of ye together in His own good time, but ye can't
hurry Him. Ye've got to bide His time."

"I can't!" Isabel said. "I can't! You're all conspiring against me. I
know--I know! Give me my cloak, and I will go."

Biddy heaved a great sigh, the tears were running down her cheeks, but
her face was quite resolute. "I'll have to call Master Scott after all,"
she said.

"No! No! I don't want Scott. I don't want anyone. I only want to be up
the mountain in time for the dawn. Oh, why are you all such fools? Why
can't you understand?" There was growing exasperation in Isabel's voice.

Biddy's hand fell from her, and she turned to cross the room.

Scott slept in the next room to them, and a portable electric bell which
they adjusted every night communicated therewith. Biddy moved slowly to
press the switch, but ere she reached it Isabel's voice stayed her.

"Biddy, don't call Master Scott!"

Biddy paused, looking back with eyes of faithful devotion.

"Ah, Miss Isabel darlint, will ye rest aisy then? I dursn't give ye the
quieting stuff without Master Scott says so."

"I don't want anything," Isabel said. "I only want my liberty. Why are
you all in league against me to keep me in just one place? Ah, listen to
that noise! How wild those people are! It is the same every night--every
night. Can they really be as happy as they sound?"

A distant hubbub had arisen in the main corridor, the banging of doors
and laughter of careless voices. It was some time after one