ted now; fallow lands and unmown grass pastures held
the place of the waving harvests of grain and new-reaped
stubblefields that used to be there in the old time. The
pastures grew rank, for there were even no cattle to feed
them; and the fallows were grown with thistles and weeds. But
over what might have been desolate lay the soft warmth of the
summer morning; and rank pasture and uncared fallow ground
took varied rich and bright hues under the early sun's rays.
Those rays had now waked the hilltops and sky and river, and
were just tipping the woods and slopes of the lower ground. By
the bend meadow Winthrop drew in his horse again and looked
fixedly.

"Does it seem pleasant to you?" he asked.

"How should it, Mr. Winthrop?" Elizabeth said coldly.

"Do you change your mind about wishing to be here?"

"No, not at all. I might as well be here as anywhere. I would
rather -- I have nowhere else to go."

He made no comment, but drove on fast again, till he drew up
once more at the old back door of the old house. It seemed a
part of the solitude, for nothing was stirring. Elizabeth sat
and watched Winthrop tie the horse; then he came and helped
her out of the wagon.

"Lean on me," said he. "You are trembling all over."

He put her arm within his, and led her up to the door and
knocked.

"Karen is up -- unless she has forgotten her old ways," said
Winthrop. He knocked again.

A minute after, the door slowly opened its upper half, and
Karen's wrinkled face and white cap and red shortgown were
before them. Winthrop did not speak. Karen looked in
bewilderment; then her bewilderment changed into joy.

"Mr. Winthrop! -- Governor!" --

And her hand was stretched out, and clasped his in a long mute
stringent clasp, which her eyes at least said was all she
could do.

"How do you do, Karen?"

"I'm well -- the Lord has kept me. But you --"

"I am well," said Winthrop. "Will you let us come in, Karen? --
This lady has been up all night, and wants rest and
refreshment."

Karen looked suspiciously at 'this lady,' as she unbolted the
lower half of the door and let them in; and again when
Winthrop carefully placed her in a chair and then went off
into the inner room for one which he knew was more easy, and
made her change the first for it.

"And what have ye come up for now, governor?" she said, when
she had watched them both, with an unsatisfied look upon her
face and a tone of deep satisfaction coming out in her