hung his head before her.

"Allison, forgive my presumption, and give me a chance to win your love.
Allison, I love you dearly."

"Hush!" she whispered. "Come with me. I must speak to you. I have
done wrong, but how could I ever have dreamed that you would give a
thought to me?"

She laid her hand upon his arm.

"I am in sore trouble. Come with me somewhere--to your mother--for I
must speak to you."

"Not to my mother, if you have anything to say which will grieve her,"
said John huskily.

"It might grieve her, but she would understand. She might be angry for
a moment; but she is kind and good, and she would not think evil of me."

They stood in silence for a minute or two. Then she said:

"Come into the manse. No one will be there till I have time to say what
I must say."

They moved on till they came to the lane that led thither, and passed
out of the moonlight into the shadow.

"Allison," said John, pausing, "you cannot surely mean to cut me off
from all hope? You might come to--care for me in time."

"Care for you? Oh, yes! I care for you. You are my friend, and
Willie's. But I have done you a wrong, and with no will to do it."

Instead of going into the house they turned aside at the end of the
hedge, and entered the garden. On the summer-seat, under the tall
fir-trees, they sat down in silence. After a time Allison rose, and
stood before her friend.

"John," said she, "when I heard your voice to-night I was glad. My
heart has been heavy with a great dread all the week; and when I heard
your voice I said to myself, here is a friend who will help me. John,"
she said after a moment's silence, "it is my secret I am going to tell
you--my secret that I have kept all these long months. I trust you,
John. You will tell me what I must do."

"Well," said John, as she paused again.

"John--I am a wife already. It is from--from the man who married me
against my will that I have been hiding all this time. You must not
think ill of me, for I was like a lost creature when my father died, and
I knew not what to do. I came away hoping that God would let me die, or
keep me hidden till my brother should get away to the other side of the
sea. And God has kept me safe till now. John, will you forgive me and
help me?"

The hands she held out to him trembled. She was shaking with excitement
and the chill of the night. He rose and wrapped her shawl close about
her.

"Allison, sit down. Or