relationship in a new aspect to Sylvia, who did not at once reconcile it
with her own understanding of the fifth commandment. Marian referred to
her father variously as "the grand old man," "the true scout," "Sir
Morton the good knight," and to her mother as "the Princess Pauline,"
or "one's mama," giving to _mama_ the French pronunciation. All this
seemed to Sylvia to be in keeping with Marian's general precociousness.

Sylvia had formed the habit of stealing away in the long twilights,
after the cheerful gathering at Mrs. Owen's supper-table, for a little
self-communing. Usually Mrs. Owen and Professor Kelton fell to talking
of old times and old friends at this hour and Sylvia's disappearances
were unremarked. She felt the joy of living these days, and loved dearly
the delaying hour between day and night that is so lovely, so touched
with poetry in this region. There was always a robin's vesper song, that
may be heard elsewhere than in Indiana, but can nowhere else be so
tremulous with joy and pain. A little creek ran across Mrs. Owen's farm,
cutting for itself a sharp defile to facilitate its egress into the
lake; and Sylvia liked to throw herself down beside a favorite maple,
with the evening breeze whispering over the young corn behind her, and
the lake, with its heart open to the coming of the stars, quiet before
her, and dream the dreams that fill a girl's heart in those blessed and
wonderful days when the brook and river meet.

On this Saturday evening Sylvia was particularly happy. The day's
activities, that had begun late, left her a little breathless. She was
wondering whether any one had ever been so happy, and whether any other
girl's life had ever been so pleasantly ordered. Her heartbeat quickened
as she thought of college and the busy years that awaited her there; and
after that would come the great world's wide-open doors. She was
untouched by envy, hatred, or malice. There was no cloud anywhere that
could mar; the stars that stole out into the great span of sky were not
more tranquil than her own heart. The world existed only that people
might show kindness one to another, and that all this beauty of wood,
field, water, and starry sky might bring joy to the souls of men. She
knew that there was evil in the world; but she knew it from books and
not from life. Her path had fallen in pleasant places, and only
benignant spirits attended her.

She was roused suddenly by the sound of steps in the path ben