as every one comes," she said sharply.

Mabyn frowned. "I'm wide awake," he said irritably. "I know where I am.
I fell asleep on the bench half an hour ago--but," his voice deepened
and swelled on the note of awe, "_you_, Natalie! You or your wraith!
I--I can't take it in!" The faded eyes bolted, and swept wearily and
unseeingly over the lake.

Natalie winced every time he spoke her name. "Try to collect yourself,"
she said coldly. "There is no doubt of its being I."

"The voice too!" he muttered, struck with the new thought. His eyes
returned to her. "Natalie--and not changed at all!" he murmured
dreamily. "But more beautiful!"

"If you please!" said Natalie haughtily.

He still stood looking at her with something the air of a bewildered
child, but more of the aged lunatic. "The first time I saw her, she was
on a horse," he said in his dull voice. "But she was better dressed.
Where did you get those clothes?" he asked suddenly.

Natalie shot an appealing glance at Garth.

He, in his over-mastering disgust of the man, could not put away the
thought that there was something feigned in this excessive bewilderment.
"Come to yourself, Mabyn!" he said sharply. "We can't stop here!"

Mabyn darted a startled, spiteful glance at the new speaker, and without
another word, turned and went back to the bench, where he sat, burying
his face in his hands. Natalie and Garth looked at each other, scarcely
knowing how to act. But presently Mabyn lifted his head again; and,
spying his pipe where it had fallen, picked it up, and attentively
knocked out what remained of the ashes in the bowl.

Natalie thought she might venture to address him again. "I have
something important to tell you," she began.

Mabyn darted a queer, furtive look at her; shame, suspicion,
obsequiousness and a sudden, reborn passion all had a part in it.
"Won't you shake hands with me?" he asked suddenly.

Natalie drew the long breath that invokes Patience and looked elsewhere.

"You've changed toward me," the man whined.

Indignation suddenly reddened her cheeks, and she levelled her blue eyes
upon him in a glance that should have struck to his soul.

But it failed to penetrate very far. "I know I've treated you badly,"
he went on. "I was coming out in the spring, though; just as soon as I
got things straight. I've worked like a son-of-a-gun too, but luck has
always been against me." His voice gathered assurance from his own
excuses.

"Never mind t