o her, smiled again, and walked away.

He was a strange man, and Charlotte felt attracted as well as repelled.
She was proud, and at another time and from other lips such words would
have been received with disdain. But this queer, shadowy-looking
clergyman looked like an unearthly visitant. She watched his rather weak
footsteps, as he walked quietly away in the northern direction through
the park. Then she got up and prepared to return home. But this little
incident had sobered her. She was not unhappy; but she now felt very
grave. The child spirit! She must keep it alive, and the Christ must
dwell bright within her.

Charlotte's temperament was naturally religious. Her nature was so frank
and noble that she could not but drink in the good as readily as the
flower receives the dew; but she had come to this present fulness of her
youthful vigor without one trial being sent to test the gold. She
entered the house after her long walk to find Hinton waiting for her.

CHAPTER XII.

FOUR MONTHS HENCE.

Hinton had gone away the day before rather disturbed by Charlotte's
manner. He had found her, for the first time since their betrothal, in
trouble. Wishing to comfort, she had repelled him. He was a strong man,
as strong in his own way as Charlotte was in hers, and this power of
standing alone scarcely pleased him in her. His was the kind of nature
which would be supposed to take for its other half one soft and
clinging. Contrary to the established rule, however, he had won this
proud and stately Charlotte. She thought him perfection: he was anything
but that. But he had good points, there was nothing mean or base about
him. There were no secrets hidden away in his life. His was an honorable
and manly nature. But he had one little fault, running like a canker
through the otherwise healthy fruit of his heart. While Charlotte was
frank and open as the day, he was reserved; not only reserved, but
suspicious. All the men who knew Hinton said what a capital lawyer he
would make; he had all the qualities necessary to insure success in his
profession. Above all things in the world secrets oppressed, irritated,
and yet interested him. Once having heard of any little possible
mystery, he could not rest until it was solved.

This had been his character from a boy. His own brothers and sisters had
confided in him, not because they found him particularly sympathetic, or
particularly clever, not because they loved him so much