he asked the question, the answer of which he knew, the
asking of which was renunciation.

"Dolly, Dolly," he whispered; "what is the matter, Dolly?"

"Ooh, ooh, ooh," sobbed Dolly; "ooh, Goosie, I can't--can't eat
pine-nuts, Goosie! I can't!"

Her shoulders shook, the table trembled, her wail rose to a perfect
little whistle of woe. Charles-Norton sat down by her and took her in his
arms. "Well, we won't have to, Dolly," he said gently; "us won't have to.
We--we'll go back!"

They remained thus long, entwined, while little by little the violence of
Dolly's despair moderated. At length she freed herself, with a smile like
the sunlight of an April shower, and still with a little catch in her
throat, took the lamp from the table and set it on the sill of the
western window.

Half an hour later there was a knock at the door.

CHAPTER XVII

After a moment of indecision, during which Dolly, rosy with excitement,
was hurriedly rearranging her disordered apparel, Charles-Norton, picking
up the lamp, strode to the door and opened it. His lips were unable to
hold a short exclamation of surprise. For, framed in the door-way, here
stood the mysterious stranger whom twice he had caught watching him in
the meadow.

He stood there, very tall, soft hat in hand, his white hair and cavalier
mustachios shining softly in the rays of the lamp, the fringes of his
buckskin garments all aglitter with the cold; above his right shoulder
there peered affectionately the white face of his horse, the vague loom
of whom could be divined behind in the night. He placed his right foot
upon the lintel, and to the movement his long spur tinkled in a single
silver note. "May I come in?" he asked gravely.

"Why, yes; why, yes," exclaimed Charles-Norton, recovering from his
momentary petrifaction; "come in, make yourself at home, have a chair,
have a seat!"

"Back!" said the man, over his shoulder, and to the command the
inquisitive nose of the white horse receded in the darkness. The man shut
the door, behind which, immediately, a philosophical munching of bit
began to sound. He walked across the room with a low bow which caused the
wide brim of his hat to sweep the floor; and to Charles-Norton's
invitation sat himself on the bench by the fireplace. Dolly perched
herself on the side of her bunk, Charles-Norton on his. They formed thus
a triangle, of which the stranger was the apex. Dolly's face was flushed,
her eyes were bright, but sh