, and then lingered minute after minute, as if he could
not bring himself to the point of departure, he simply manifested anew
to the maiden what his tones and looks had been telling her for an hour,
that he admired her very greatly.

"Come soon again," Dulcibel said softly, as the young man managed to
open the door at last, and make his final adieu. "And indeed I shall if
you will permit me," was his earnest response.

But some fair reader may ask, "What were these two doing during all the
winter, that they had not seen each other?"

I answer that Dulcibel had withdrawn from the village gatherings since
the breaking of the engagement with Jethro. At the best, it was an
acknowledgment that she had been too hasty in a matter that she should
not have allowed herself to fail in; and she felt humbled under the
thought. Besides, it seemed to her refined and sensitive nature only
decorous that she should withdraw for a time into the seclusion of her
own home under such circumstances.

As for the village gossips, they entirely misinterpreted her conduct.
Inasmuch as Jethro went around as usual, and put a bold face upon the
matter, they came to the conclusion that he had thrown her off, and that
she was moping at home, because she felt the blow so keenly.

Thus it was that while the young Englishman had attended many social
gatherings during the winter he had never met the one person whom he was
especially desirous of again meeting.

One little passage of the conversation between the two it may be well
however to refer to expressly for its bearing upon a very serious
matter. Raymond had mentioned that he had not seen her recently flying
around on that little jet black horse, and had asked whether she still
owned it.

"Oh, yes," replied Dulcibel; "I doubt that I should be able to sell
Little Witch if I wished to do so."

"Ah, how is that? She seems to be a very fine riding beast."

"She is, very! But you have not heard that I am the only one that has
ever ridden her or that can ride her."

"Indeed! that is curious."

I have owned her from a little colt. She was never broken to harness;
and no one, as I said, has ever ridden her but me. So that now if any
other person, man or woman, attempts to do so, she will not allow it.
She rears, she plunges, and finally as a last resort, if necessary, lies
down on the ground and refuses to stir. "Why, that is very flattering
to you, Dulcibel," said Raymond smiling. "I never kne