is
occurrence should be revealed. Promise me then, my more than mother,
that what has passed since we entered this garden shall be confined
to your own breast.'

"'I comprehend and appreciate your motive for this concealment,
Maria,' I observed, soothingly. 'The knowledge of Wau-nan-gee's
wrong would arouse the anger of Ronayne in such manner as to give
rise to fatal discord between the Indians around and ourselves.
Depend upon it, both for the love I bear you, and the necessity
for silence, the occurrences of this day never shall be disclosed
by me.'

"'Thanks, thanks,' she returned fervently. 'To-morrow you shall
know all--the deep, the terrible secret that weighs at my heart
shall be revealed to you. Yes, give me but until then to prepare
myself for the full and entire disclosure of the unhappy truth,
and you will not hate me for all that has taken place.'

"'Maria--Mrs. Ronayne!' I said with some slight severity of manner.

"'Oh, you are surprised at my language and sentiments. When the
heart is full, the lip measures not its words. Yet, oh, my mother!
condemn me not. Hear first what I have to say. Again I repeat, ere
your eyes are closed in sleep to-morrow night, you shall know all.
The tale will startle you; but now,' she added, 'I feel that I have
strength enough to follow.'

"During this short and singular dialogue--singular enough, you must
admit, on the part of Mrs. Ronayne--I had assisted her in restoring
her dress, which, as I have already said, was very much disordered.
On turning to ascend by the stone steps, I remarked with surprise
certain articles of food placed on the corner of the calico, which
I had been too much occupied with Maria's condition to perceive
before. These consisted of a wooden bowl of milk--a brown earthen
pitcher of water--a number of flat cakes, seemingly made of corn
meal, and a portion of dried venison ham; a wooden spoon was in
the bowl, a black tin japanned drinking cup near the water, and a
common Indian knife stuck into the venison.

"'Bless me, Maria,' I said, with an attempt at pleasantry, after
we had ascended, and closed the door, 'it was well I came to your
rescue; Wau-nan-gee certainly meant to have kept you imprisoned
here some time, if we may judge from the quantity of food he had
provided.'

"'Such, I believe, was the original intention,' gravely replied
Mrs. Ronayne.

"She made no other remark, but sighed deeply. We now drew near the
gate where Collins an