, upon whose highly polished presence she gazes, seeking depth,
and finds but her own silly face mirrored on the surface."

She turned from me and raised her head, gazing up through interlacing
branches into the blue above.

"Ah, we must be friends, Carus," she said wearily; "we have cost each
other too dear."

"I have cost you dear enough," I muttered.

"Not too dear for all you have taught me."

"What have I taught you?"

"To know a dream from the reality," she said listlessly.

"Better you should learn from me than from Walter Butler," I said
bluntly.

"From him! Why, he taught me nothing. I fell in love again--really in
love--for an hour or two--spite of the lesson he could not teach me. I
tell you he taught me nothing--not even to distrust the vows of men. If
it was a wrong he dared to meditate, it touches not me, Carus--touches
me no more than his dishonoring hand, which he never dared to lay upon
me."

"What do you mean?" I asked, troubled. "Have you taken a brief fancy to
another? Do you imagine that you are in love again? What is it that you
mean, Elsin?"

"Mean? God knows. I am tired to the soul, Carus. I have no pride
left--not a shred--nothing of resentment. I fancy I love--yes--and the
mad fancy drags me on, trailing pride, shame, and becoming modesty
after me in the dust." She laughed, flinging her arm out in an
impatient gesture: "What is this war to me, Carus, save as it concerns
him? In Canada we wag our heads and talk of rebels; here we speak of
red-coats and patriots; and it's all one to me, Carus, so that no
dishonor touches the man I love or my own Canada. Your country here is
nothing to me except for the sake of this one man."

She turned toward me from her saddle.

"You may be right, you rebels," she said. "If aught threatened Canada,
no loyalty to a King whom I have never seen could stir me to forsake my
own people. That is why I am so bitter, I think; not because Sir
Frederick Haldimand is kin to me, but because your people dared to
storm Quebec."

"Those who marched thither march no more," I said gravely.

"Then let it be peace betwixt us. My enmity stops at the grave--and
they march no more, as you say."

"Do you give me your friendship again, Elsin?"

She raised her eyes and looked at me steadily.

"It was yours before you asked me, Carus. It has always been yours. It
has never faltered for one moment even when I said the things that a
hurt pride forced from me." She sh