ashes was thrown down, and prepared for the road.

In the first day's journey he reached Geneva, and setting out again
before it was light, he came to John Biery's hotel when the sun was
rising red beyond the gray elm boughs on the morning on which Susannah
breakfasted alone.

Susannah looked up from her breakfast and saw Ephraim standing beside
her. It was his way to look calm outwardly, but she could see that he
was struggling with the nervous untoward beating of his heart, so that
he could not speak. Susannah did not understand why she could not
immediately rise and speak. She was conscious of a red flush that rose
and mantled her face, but she did not understand the emotion from which
it arose. She only knew that she was glad to see Ephraim, more glad than
she could have thought to be of anything upon a day when her heart had
been set mocking.

"You have come at last," she whispered, and only knew when the words
were said that she had hoped to see him before. Her whisper was broken
by rising tears, which she checked in very shame.

"I want to speak to you," said Ephraim briefly.

So she rose and went out with him. She put her shawl over her head and
walked upon the roadside. The day was mild, the first of the Indian
summer. Ephraim had not put up his horse; he led it by the bridle as he
walked.

"Sure as I'm alive, it's her uncle as has come after her at last," said
the wife of John Biery, gazing through the small panes of the kitchen
window. And, in truth, Ephraim did look many years older than Susannah,
for his figure was bowed somewhat for lack of strength.

Susannah did not now think of Ephraim as old, neither did she think of
him as young. To her he was just Ephraim, bearing no more relation of
comparison to any other mortal than if his had been the only soul in the
world beside her own. She was not aware of this; she was only thinking
that if he had not shot Halsey she would have been able to speak freely
to him now. It was so wicked of Ephraim, above all others, to do such a
thing. It was, in fact, unforgivable because of the stain upon Ephraim's
own character more than because of Halsey's blood. But that again she
did not analyse. She only knew that her feeling kept her silent.

"I am here, Susannah"--in his battle to speak Ephraim economised
words--"to ask you to come back with me."

Susannah considered. It would be perhaps the best thing that she could
do after she had spoken her mind to Angel.