e gone. She looked so pale and ill that Mellen could not feel
satisfied that she had suffered no injury.

"You are sure that the fall has not hurt you, Bessie?"

"Quite sure," she answered, in the same changed voice; "don't trouble
yourself about me. I was only frightened."

Mellen could not understand her manner, but he said nothing more. She
lay back on the settee, and closed her eyes while he stood there
regarding and wondering whether she lay thus from weakness or to escape
further conversation.

At last the woman returned and announced that the carriage would be down
immediately.

"That are man frightened the horse," she said; "I was a looking out of
the window--it's my belief he's a hanging about the place for no good."

"Have you ever seen him before?" asked Mellen.

"Why, I think it's the chap you was a talking with one day, Mrs.
Mellen," said the woman.

"I thought you did not know him?" observed Mellen, turning quickly
towards his wife.

She sat upright, gave him one of her quick, indignant glances, and
answered coldly:

"I simply said he ran by me so fast I could not tell whether I knew him
or not."

"Wal, it was the same fellow," pursued Mrs. Green; "I'm sure of that."

"Do you remember?" questioned Mellen.

"I do not," replied Elizabeth haughtily.

Mellen colored and bit his lip, but he saw the woman looking curiously
at them and said no more.

"I wish, Mrs. Green," he said, "you would take great care to close the
gates at night; we are near enough the city for dangerous characters to
stray down here."

"Law, sar, we're just as careful as can be. There ain't a night we don't
shut and lock the gates. I hope we ain't a coming to no blame; I'm a
lone woman and Jem's a cripple. It would be hard on us."

Mellen tried to stop her flood of protestations and appeals, but she
insisted upon telling the whole story of every misery she had endured
during her life, before she would pause in her plea of sorrow for an
instant. By that time the carriage fortunately arrived and they were
able to escape the sound of her tongue.

The husband and wife drove somewhat silently home. Mellen was very
anxious about Elizabeth, who had recovered her usual serenity of temper,
and could do her best to reassure him, though the color would not come
back to her face, nor the startled look die out of her eyes.

When they reached the house, Elsie was standing on the steps, and ran
down to the carriage full of alarm,