I thought he lied. But--but I never thought to do him any
harm. I took the little pistol out of the bag, because I was looking
for something else, and it went off! Oh!"

She hid her face in her hands, as if the whole scene had been again
enacted before her, and the man heard her sobbing.

"Hugo he nefer tell no lie," said Stefan, softly. "I don't know vhat
all dis mean, you bet. But I am glad you ban come like a stranger. I
am glad he no lofe you, and den I am sorry, too, for you so nice gal,
vid voice so soft and such prettee eyes, I tank if he lofe you den you
sure lofe him too. Den you two so happy in dis place, ma'am."

He interrupted himself, striking his fist upon his chest, as if to
still a pain in it, and went on again.

"You haf no idea how prettee place dis is, leetle leddy, in de
summertime. A vonderful place to be happy in. De big falls dey make
music all day and at night dey sings you to sleep, like de modder she
sings leetle babies. Und de big birches dey lean ofer, so beautiful,
and de birds dey comes all rount, nesting in all de bushes. Oh, such a
vonderful place for a man and a voman to love, dem falls of dat
Roaring Rifer! Hugo he cleared such a goot piece, oder side of dat
leetle hill, vhere de oats vould grow fine. And down by de Rifer, on
de north side, he find silver, plenty silver in big veins, like dey
got east of us, in Nipissing countree. So I tank one day he ban a rich
man and haf a prettee little voman and plenty nice kiddies, leetle
children like one lofes to see, and dey all lif here so happy."

His voice grew suddenly hoarse. It was with an effort that he spoke
again.

"An' now he don' know me--or you or Maigan, and--and my goot dear
frient Hugo he look like he ban dyin'!"

Stefan stopped abruptly again, apparently overcome. His face, tanned
by frost and sun to a hue of dull brick, also lay in the hollow of his
hands. The vastness of his grief seemed to be commensurate with his
size. But when he looked up Madge saw that his eyes were dry, for he
was suffering according to the way of strong men with the agony that
clutches at the breast and twists a cord about the temples. In his
helplessness before the peril he was pitiful to see, since all his
confidence had gone, his pride in his power, his faith in his ability
to surmount all things by the mere force of his will. And the present
weakness of the man augmented the girl's own sorrow, even though his
being there was relief of a sort