home in the rain; and it gave her a stricture of heart.
She put the manner now to Madge's account, and thought within herself
that if Madge's hood and cloak were beside him it probably did not
matter who was in them; his fancy could do the rest. Somehow she did
not want to go to drive as Madge's proxy. However, there was no helping
that now. She was put into the sleigh, enveloped in the fur robes; Mr.
Dillwyn took his place beside her, and they were off.

CHAPTER XLVI.

OFF AND ON.

Certinaly Madge had not said too much, and the scene was like witchery.
The sun was down, but the moon was up, near full, and giving a white
illumination to the white world. The snow had fallen thick, and neither
sun nor wind had as yet made any impression upon it; the covering of
the road was thick and well beaten, and on every exposed level surface
lay the white treasure piled up. Every twig and branch of the trees
still held its burden; every roof was blanketed; there had been no time
yet for smoke and soil to come upon the pure surfaces; and on all this
fell the pale moon rays, casting pale shadows and making the world
somehow look like something better than itself. The horses Mr. Dillwyn
drove were fresh enough yet, and stepped off gaily, their bells
clinking musically; and other bells passed them and sounded in the
nearer and further distance. Moreover, under this illumination all less
agreeable features of the landscape were covered up. It was a pure
region of enchanted beauty to Lois's sense, through which they drove;
and she felt as if a spell had come upon her too, and this bit of
experience were no more real than the rest of it. It was exquisitely
and intensely pleasant; a bit of life quite apart and by itself, and
never to be repeated, therefore to be enjoyed all she could while she
had it. Which thought was not enjoyment. Was she not foolish to have
come?

"Are you comfortable?" suddenly Mr. Dillwyn's voice came in upon these
musings.

"O, perfectly!" Lois answered, with an accentuation between delight and
desperation.

And then he was silent again; and she went on with her musings, just
that word having given them a spur. How exquisite the scene was! how
exquisite everything, in fact. All the uncomelinesses of a city suburb
were veiled under the moonlight; nothing but beauty could be seen; here
were points that caught the light, and there were shadows that simply
served to set off the silvery whiteness of t