the beautiful eyes seemed always trying to
tell one what the weary absence meant. But I thought again that this
daughter of the house had won a kind of presence there, because of
Madame Proudfit's tender mother-care of Delia More.

Yet it was to this care that Calliope and I owed a present defeat; for
when we were leave-taking,--

"We shall sail, then, the moment we can get passage," Madame Proudfit
observed to her lawyer, "providing that Clementina can arrange. Delia,"
she added, "Clementina and I find to-night that we must sail immediately
for Europe, for six months or so. And we want to carry you off with us."

Madame Proudfit and Miss Clementina and Delia were standing with us
outside the threshold, where the outdoors had met us like something that
had been waiting. There, with the light from the hall falling but dimly,
I saw in Abel's face only the glow of his simple joy that this good
thing had come to Delia--though, indeed, that very joy told much
besides. And it was in his face when he bade Delia good night and, since
he was expected somewhere among the hills for days to come, gave her
God-speed. But we four fell momentarily silent, as if we meant things
which we might not speak. It was almost a relief to hear tapping on the
sidewalk the wooden leg of Peleg Bemus, while a familiar, thin little
stream of melody from his flute made its way about.

"Doesn't it seem as if Peleg were trying to tell one something?" said
Madame Proudfit, lightly, as we went away.

And down on the gravel of the drive Calliope demanded passionately of
Abel and me:--

"Oh, don't some things make you want to pull the sky down an' _wrap up
in it_!"

But at this Abel laughed a little.

"It's easier to pull down just the dreams," he said.

XIII

TOP FLOOR BACK

One morning a few weeks after the Proudfits had left, I was sitting
beside Calliope's cooking range, watching her at her baking, when the
wooden leg of Peleg Bemus thumped across the threshold, and without
ceremony he came in from the shed and stood by the fire, warming his axe
handle. But Peleg's intrusions were never imputed to him. As I have
said, his gifts and experiences had given him a certain authority.
Perhaps, too, he reflected a kind of institutional dignity from his
sign, which read:--

P. Bemus: Retail Saw Miller

At the moment of his entrance Calliope was talking of Emerel Kitton, now
Mrs. Abe Daniel:

"There's them two," she said, "seems to