e keen, pure air, and his
spirit enthralled and lifted to unconscious adoration by the vast
mystery of a beauty, subtle and ethereal in its hushed eloquence. From
the zenith through whiteness to whiteness the flakes sifted from the
sky like a filmy bride's veil thrown over the blue of the farthest and
highest peaks, and swaying soft folds of lucent whiteness upon the
earth--the trees--and upon the cabin, and as they stood there, closing
them in together--the very center of mystery, their own souls. Again
the passion swept through him, to gather her in his arms, and he held
himself sternly and stiffly against it, and would have said something
simple and common to break the spell, but he only faltered and looked
down on his hands spread out before her, and what he said was: "Do you
see blood on them?"

"Ah, no. Did you hurt your hand to cause blood on them, and to make
those crutch for me?" she cried in consternation.

"No, no. It's nothing. I have not hurt my hand. See, there's no blood
on the crutches." He glanced at them as she leaned her weight on them
there at his side, with a feeling of relief. It seemed as if they must
show a stain, yet why should it be blood? "Come in. It's too cold for
you to stand in the door with no shawl. I mean to put enough wood in
here to last you the rest of the day--and go--"

"Mr. 'Arry! Not to leave us? No, it is no need you go--for why?"

Her terror touched him. "No, I would not go again and leave you and
your mother alone--not to save my soul. As you say, there is no
need--as long as it is so still and the clouds are thin the snow will
do little harm. It would be the driving, fine snow and the drifts that
would delay him."

"Yes, snow as we have it in the terrible Russia. I know such snow
well," said Madam Manovska.

They went in and closed the door, and sat down to eat. The meal was
lighted only by the dancing flames from the hearth, and their faces
glowed in the fitful light. Always the meals were conducted with a
certain stately ceremony which made the lack of dishes, other than the
shaped slabs of wood sawn from the ends of logs--odd make-shifts
invented by Harry, seem merely an accident of the moment, while the
bits of lace-edged linen that Amalia provided from their little store
seemed quite in harmony with the air of grace and gentleness that
surrounded the two women. It was as if they were using a service of
silver and Sevres, and to have missed the graciousness of thei