me three weeks had elapsed since she had given her word to be Paul's
wife, but though he had repeatedly begged her to name a day for their
wedding, he had entirely failed to obtain any satisfactory reply. When he
grew importunate, the only effect was to set her to crying, as if her
heart would break. He was completely perplexed. If she did not love him
her conduct would be readily explainable; but that she was in love with
him, and very much in love with him, he had increasing evidence every
day.

She gave nothing that could be called a reason for refusing to say when
she would marry him, though she talked feebly of its being so soon, and
of not being ready; but when he reminded her of the special
considerations that made delay inexpedient, of her own peculiarly
unprotected condition, and of Miss Ludington's uncertain health, and
desire to see them married as soon as possible, she attempted no reply,
but took refuge in tears, leaving him no choice but to relinquish the
question, and devote himself to soothing her.

When, finally, Miss Ludington asked Paul what were their plans, and he
told her of Ida's strange behaviour, they took troubled counsel together
concerning her.

It was evident that she was in a state of high nervous tension, and her
conduct must be attributed to that. Nor was it strange that the
experiences through which she had passed in the last month or two,
supplemented by the agitations of so extraordinary a love affair, should
have left her in a condition of abnormal excitability.

"She must not be hurried," said Miss Ludington. "She has promised to be
your wife, and you know that she loves you; that ought to be enough to
give you patience to wait. Why, Paul, you loved her all your life up to
the last month without even seeing her, and did not think the time long."

"You forget," he replied, "that it is seeing her which makes it so hard
to wait."

A day or two later, when she chanced to be sitting alone with her in the
afternoon, Miss Ludington said: "When are you and Paul to be married?"

"It is not decided yet," Ida replied, falteringly.

"Has not Paul spoken to you about it?"

"Oh, yes!"

"I had hoped that you would have been married before this," said Miss
Ludington, after a pause. "You know why I am so anxious that there should
be no delay in assuring your position. The time is short I know, but the
reasons against postponement are strong, and if you love him I cannot
see why you should