ck.

Desire was a little disturbed again by this movement. The others had
begun to walk on, up the ledge, toward the old brick house;
gathering as they went, ferns that had escaped the frost, others
that had delicately whitened in it, and gorgeous maple-leaves, swept
from topmost, inaccessible branches,--where the most glorious color
always hangs,--by last night's rain and wind.

It was so foolish of her to have sat there until he came and did
this. Now she could not get right up and go away. This feeling,
coming simultaneously with his question about her legible face, was
doubly uncomfortable. But she had to answer. She did it briefly.

"Yes. It is a great bother. I don't like coarse print."

"Nor I. But my eyes are good; and the fine print is clear. I should
like very much to tell you of something that I have to do, Miss
Ledwith. I should like your thoughts upon it. For, you see, I have
hardly yet got acquainted with my ground. From what my sister tells
me, I think your work leads naturally up to mine. I should like to
find out whether it is quite ready for the join."

"I haven't much work," said Desire. "Luclarion Grapp has; and Miss
Kirkbright, and Mr. Vireo. I only help,--with some money that
belongs to it."

"And I have more money that belongs to it," said Mr. Kirkbright.

It was a curious way for a rich man and a rich woman to talk to each
other, about their money. But I do not believe it ought to be
curious.

"Don't you often come across people who cannot be helped much just
where they are? Don't you feel, sometimes, that there ought to be a
place to send them to, away, out of their old tracks, where they
could begin again; or even hide a while, in shame and repentance,
before they _dare_ to begin again?"

"I _know_ Luclarion does," said Desire, earnestly.

She would have it, still, that there was no work in her own name for
him to ask about.

"I must see this Luclarion of yours," said Mr. Kirkbright.
"Meanwhile, since I have got you to talk to, pray tell me all you
can, whoever found it out. Isn't there a need for a City of Refuge?
And suppose a place like this, away from the towns, where God's
beautiful water is coming down in a hurry, with a cry of power in
every leap,--where there is a great lake-basin full of material for
work, just stored away against men's need for their earning and
their building,--suppose this place taken and used for the giving of
a new chance of life to those who have f