" she cried, "and I wish that Christmas
was here and that you were out of my house."

"No need to wait till Christmas, aunt; I will go away now and never
come back."

"I shall be glad of that."

"Paul Borson will give me shelter until I move into my own house."

"Then we shall be far apart. I shall not be sorry, for our chimneys
may smoke the better for it."

"That is an unkind thing to say."

"It is as you take it."

"I wonder what people will think of you, aunt?"

"I wonder that, too--but I care nothing."

"I see that talk will come to little, and that we had better part."

"If you will marry Bele we need not part; then I will be good to you."

"I will not marry Bele--no, not for the round world."

"Then, what I have to say is this, and I say it out: go to the
Borsons as soon as you can; there is doubtless soul-kin between you
and them, and I want no Borson near me, in the body or out of the
body."

So that afternoon Karen went to live with Paul Borson, and there was
great talk about it. No sooner had Liot put his foot ashore than
he heard the story, and at once he set it bitterly down against Bele;
for his sake Karen had been driven from her home. There were those
that said it was Bele's plan, since she would not marry him, to
separate her from her aunt; he was at least determined not to
lose what money and property Matilda Sabiston had to leave. These
accusations were not without effect. Liot believed his rival capable
of any meanness. But it was not the question of money that at
this hour angered him; it was Karen's tears; it was Karen's sense of
shame in being sent from the home of her only relative, and the
certain knowledge that the story would be in every one's mouth.
These things roused in Liot's soul hatred implacable and unmerciful
and thirsty for the stream of life.

Yet he kept himself well in hand, saying little to Karen but those
things usually whispered to beloved women who are weeping, and at the
end of them this entreaty:

"Listen, dear heart of mine! I will see the minister, and he will
call our names in the kirk next Sunday, and the next day we shall be
married, and then there will be an end to this trouble. I say nothing
of Matilda Sabiston, but Bele Trenby stirs up bickerings all day
long; he is a low, quarrelsome fellow, a very son of Satan, walking
about the world tempting good men to sin."

And Karen answered: "Life is full of waesomeness. I have always
heard that when the