id that the girl had been well
brought up and used to better things than the Cove could give her, and
she feared that she would be very discontented and unhappy. I had
forgotten all about it until I saw the girl today. She certainly seems
to be a very superior person; she will find the Cove very lonely, I am
sure. It is not probable she will stay there long. I must see what I
can do for her, but her manner seemed rather repellent, don't you
think?"

"Hardly," responded Esterbrook curtly. "She seemed surprisingly
dignified and self-possessed, I fancied, for a girl in her position. A
princess could not have looked and bowed more royally. There was not a
shadow of embarrassment in her manner, in spite of the incongruity of
her surroundings. You had much better leave her alone, Marian. In all
probability she would resent any condescension on your part. What
wonderful, deep, lovely eyes she has."

Again the sensitive colour flushed Marian's cheek as his voice lapsed
unconsciously into a dreamy, retrospective tone, and a slight
restraint came over her manner, which did not depart. Esterbrook went
away at sunset. Marian asked him to remain for the evening, but he
pleaded some excuse.

"I shall come tomorrow afternoon," he said, as he stooped to drop a
careless good-bye kiss on her face.

Marian watched him wistfully as he rode away, with an unaccountable
pain in her heart. She felt more acutely than ever that there were
depths in her lover's nature that she was powerless to stir into
responsive life.

Had any other that power? She thought of the girl at the Cove, with
her deep eyes and wonderful face. A chill of premonitory fear seized
upon her.

"I feel exactly as if Esterbrook had gone away from me forever," she
said slowly to herself, stooping to brush her cheek against a
dew-cold, milk-white acacia bloom, "and would never come back to me
again. If that could happen, I wonder what there would be left to live
for?"

* * * * *

Esterbrook Elliott meant, or honestly thought he meant, to go home
when he left Marian. Nevertheless, when he reached the road branching
off to the Cove he turned his horse down it with a flush on his dark
cheek. He realized that the motive of the action was disloyal to
Marian and he felt ashamed of his weakness.

But the desire to see Magdalen Crawford once more and to look into the
depths of her eyes was stronger than all else, and overpowered every
throb