rese and despatched him
to Mountain Spring after what forage he could find. Then from
a sense of duty went back to her cousin. Rose was looking out
of the window again when she came in, and kept silence for a
little space; but silence was never Rose's forte.

"Lizzie -- what makes you live in such a place?"

"It was the pleasantest place I could find," said her cousin,
with a tone of suppressed feeling.

"It's so lonely!" said Rose.

"It suited me."

"But it isn't safe," said Rose. "What if something happened to
you, with nobody about, -- what would you do?"

"It has not been a subject of fear with me," said Elizabeth.
"I haven't thought about it."

"Who comes to see you here? anybody?"

"No. Who should come?" said Elizabeth sternly. "Whom should I
want to see?"

"Don't you want to see anybody, ever? I do. I don't like to be
in a desert so."

Elizabeth was silent, with a set of the lips that told of
thoughts at work.

"Doesn't Winthrop Landholm come here?"

"No!"

"I'm not used to it," said Rose whimpering, -- "I can't live
so. It makes me feel dreadfully."

"Whom do _you_ want to see, Rose?" said Elizabeth, with an
expression that ought to have reminded her companion whom she
was dealing with.

"I don't care who -- any one. It's dreadful to live so, and see
nothing but the leaves shaking and the river rolling and this
great empty place."

"Empty!" said Elizabeth, with again a quick glancing laugh.
"Well! -- you are yourself yet! But at any rate the leaves
don't shake much to-day."

"They did last night," said Rose. "I was so frightened I
didn't know what to do, and with no man in the house either,
good for anything -- I didn't sleep a wink till after one
o'clock."

"Was your sleep ever disturbed by anything of more importance
than the wind?"

"I don't know what you mean," said Rose in tears. "I think
you're very unkind! --"

"What would you like me to do, Rose?"

"Let's go away from here."

"Where?"

"I don't care -- to Mannahatta."

"What do you want to do in Mannahatta?"

"Why, nothing, -- what everybody does -- live like other people.
I shall die here."

"Is the memory of the best friend you ever had, so little
worth, Rose, that you are in a hurry to banish it your company
already?"

"I don't know what you mean," said Rose, with one of her old
pouts and then bursting into fresh weeping. "I don't know why
one should be miserable any more than one can help. I have
been mise