think I'd do anything to hurt you?"

A new note in his voice disarmed her: no one had ever spoken to her in
that tone.

"Oh, what DID you do it for then?" she wailed. He had her hands in
his, and she was feeling the smooth touch that she had imagined the day
before on the hillside.

He pressed her hands lightly and let them go. "Why, to make things
pleasanter for you here; and better for the books. I'm sorry if my
cousin twisted around what I said. She's excitable, and she lives on
trifles: I ought to have remembered that. Don't punish me by letting her
think you take her seriously."

It was wonderful to hear him speak of Miss Hatchard as if she were a
querulous baby: in spite of his shyness he had the air of power that the
experience of cities probably gave. It was the fact of having lived
in Nettleton that made lawyer Royall, in spite of his infirmities, the
strongest man in North Dormer; and Charity was sure that this young man
had lived in bigger places than Nettleton.

She felt that if she kept up her denunciatory tone he would secretly
class her with Miss Hatchard; and the thought made her suddenly simple.

"It don't matter to Miss Hatchard how I take her. Mr. Royall says she's
going to get a trained librarian; and I'd sooner resign than have the
village say she sent me away."

"Naturally you would. But I'm sure she doesn't mean to send you away.
At any rate, won't you give me the chance to find out first and let you
know? It will be time enough to resign if I'm mistaken."

Her pride flamed into her cheeks at the suggestion of his intervening.
"I don't want anybody should coax her to keep me if I don't suit."

He coloured too. "I give you my word I won't do that. Only wait till
tomorrow, will you?" He looked straight into her eyes with his shy grey
glance. "You can trust me, you know--you really can."

All the old frozen woes seemed to melt in her, and she murmured
awkwardly, looking away from him: "Oh, I'll wait."

V

There had never been such a June in Eagle County. Usually it was a month
of moods, with abrupt alternations of belated frost and mid-summer heat;
this year, day followed day in a sequence of temperate beauty. Every
morning a breeze blew steadily from the hills. Toward noon it built up
great canopies of white cloud that threw a cool shadow over fields and
woods; then before sunset the clouds dissolved again, and the western
light rained its unobstructed brightness on the valley