chance of relief because it suits you. How dare you! I
thought you were a man. I was mistaken. A true man would not take
advantage of a helpless woman's misfortune to further his own selfish
interests. You are free to stay in this lonely spot if you choose, but
I will not. I refuse to sacrifice myself. I will go away in spite of
you. I don't know how, but I will find some way, and when I get back
among my friends I shall tell them how a man treated a poor defenceless
girl."

He made a step toward her, as if about to say something, when she
retreated and exclaimed:

"Don't come near me!" she cried, almost hysterically. "I hate you. I
won't let you address me again until that fire is lighted."

She sank down on the stump of a tree and, burying her face in her hands,
gave way, womanlike, to a torrent of tears. When the hysterical spell
had passed, he was still standing humbly before her, looking down at
her, with a sad, set expression on his face.

"Won't you listen to me?" he said.

"I won't listen to anything until you have lighted the fire once more,"
was her stubborn reply.

Overhead the sun suddenly broke through the heavy gray clouds. The mists
slowly lifted. Once more land and water were bathed in a flood of
cheering sunshine. Grace's moods were mercurial. All that morning she
had been particularly depressed because of the weather. As Nature put on
a fairer garb, her spirits rose. She now felt sorry she had spoken so
harshly to him. At least, she might have given him a chance to explain.

"Won't you listen?" he asked again.

He spoke pleadingly, without anger, the rich tones of his voice
trembling with suppressed emotion. Standing bareheaded, the sun falling
full on his tanned face and neck, he looked strikingly handsome.

"Why did you extinguish the fire?" she demanded again in a low and more
conciliatory tone.

Leaning over toward her, he said:

"Can't you guess the real reason?"

"Because of the trouble--you said as much."

He shook his head and there was a note of reproach in his voice as he
replied:

"You don't think that is the reason. You ought to know that I should
consider no task too irksome if it would add to your happiness."

He spoke so earnestly that Grace looked up at him in surprise. What did
he mean? His eyes met hers without flinching. He was silent. She saw he
wanted to say something and hesitated. She knew not why, but there was
something disturbing in this man's silent, persis