d from the threshold, "that we are
always down stairs--at least my mother is--and ready to serve you at any
moment in any way we can."

The assurance appeared to make little impression upon her, but she
smiled politely, and then closing the door after him, sat down to eat
her dinner of cold bread and corned meat.

CHAPTER IV

TREATS OF THE ATTRACTION OF OPPOSITES

As soon as Trent had left the room Laura felt that the silence became
oppressive and constrained. For the first time in her life she found
herself overwhelmed with timidity--with a fear of the too obvious
word--and this timidity annoyed her because she was aware that she no
longer possessed the strength with which to struggle against it. That it
was imperative for her to lighten the situation by a trivial remark, she
saw clearly, yet she could think of nothing to say which did not sound
foolish and even insincere when she repeated it in her thoughts. Had she
dared to follow her usual impulse and be uncompromisingly honest, she
would have said, perhaps: "I am silent because I am afraid to speak and
yet I do not know why I am afraid, nor what it is that I fear." In her
own mind she was hardly more lucid than this, and the mystery of her
heart was as inscrutable to herself as it was to Kemper.

Then, presently, a rush of anger--of hot resentment--put courage into
her determination, and raising her head, with an impatient gesture, she
looked indifferently into his face. He was still sitting in the square
of sunlight, which had almost faded away, and as she turned toward him,
he met her gaze with his intimate and charming smile. Though his words
were casual usually and uttered in a tone of genial raillery, this
smile, whenever she met it, seemed to give the lie to every trifling
phrase that he had spoken. "What is the use of all this ridiculous
fencing when you fill my thoughts and each minute of the day I think
only of you," said his look. So vivid was the impression she received
now, that she felt instantly that he had caressed her in his
imagination. Her heart beat quickly, while she rose to her feet with an
indignant impulse.

"What is it?" he asked and she knew from his voice that he was still
smiling. "What is the matter?"

Picking up his typewritten manuscript, she returned with it to her
chair, drawing, as she sat down, a little farther away.

"I merely wanted to look over this," she returned, "Mr. Trent
interrupted me in my reading."

"