m to seek a
safety-valve for his excitement in superhuman activity all the rest of
the morning, arranging croquet sets, hanging swings, breaking ice,
squeezing lemons, and fetching water.

"Oh, how thirsty I am!" sighed Madeline, throwing down her croquet
mallet.

"The ice-water is not yet ready, but I know a spring a little way off
where the water is cold as ice," said Henry.

"Show it to me this instant," she cried, and they walked off together,
followed by Ida Lewis's unhappy eyes.

The distance to the spring was not great, but the way was rough, and once
or twice he had to help her over fallen trees and steep banks. Once she
slipped a little, and for, a single supreme moment he held her whole
weight in his arms. Before, they had been talking and laughing gaily, but
that made a sudden silence. He dared not look at her for some moments,
and when he did there was a slight flush tingeing her usually colourless
cheek.

His pulses were already bounding wildly, and, at this betrayal that she
had shared his consciousness at that moment, his agitation was tenfold
increased. It was the first time she had ever shown a sign of confusion
in his presence. The sensation of mastery, of power over her, which it
gave, was so utterly new that it put a sort of madness in his blood.
Without a word they came to the spring and pretended to drink. As she
turned to go back, he lightly caught her fingers in a detaining clasp,
and said, in a voice rendered harsh by suppressed emotion--

"Don't be in such a hurry. Where will you find a cooler spot?"

"Oh, it's cool enough anywhere! Let's go back," she replied, starting to
return as she spoke. She saw his excitement, and, being herself a little
confused, had no idea of allowing a scene to be precipitated just then.
She flitted on before with so light a foot that he did not overtake her
until she came to a bank too steep for her to surmount without aid. He
sprang up and extended her his hand. Assuming an expression as if she
were unconscious who was helping her, she took it, and he drew her up to
his side. Then with a sudden, audacious impulse, half hoping she would
not be angry, half reckless if she were, he clasped her closely in his
arms, and kissed her lips. She gasped, and freed herself.

"How dared you do such a thing to me?" she cried.

The big fellow stood before her, sheepish, dogged, contrite, desperate,
all in one.

"I couldn't help it," he blurted out. The plea was someho