gone--like I did before?" she
said.

She had revealed herself in many curious lights to him, but no previous
revelation had been so wonderful as was the swift change of mood and
bearing which took place in her at this instant. In a moment she had
melted into soft tears, her lips were tremulous, her voice dropped into
a shaken whisper.

"I've allers wanted to go away," she said. "I--I've allers said I
would. I want to go to a city somewhar--I don't keer whar. I might git
work--I've heerd of folks as did. P'r'aps some un ud hire me!"

He stared at her like a man fascinated.

"_You_ go to the city alone!" he said under his breath. "_You_ try to
get work!"

"Yes," she answered. "Don't ye know no one"--

He stopped her.

"No," he said, "I don't. It would be a dangerous business unless you
had friends. As for me, I shall not be in America long. As soon as I am
married I go with my wife to Europe."

He heard a sharp click in her throat. Her tears were dried, and she was
looking straight at him.

"Are ye a-goin' to be married?" she asked.

"Yes."

"To--_her?_" with a gesture in the direction of the Harneys' cabin.

"Yes."

"Oh!" and she walked out of the room.

He did not see her for three days, and the picture stood still. He went
to the Harneys' and found Rebecca packing her trunk.

"We are going back to New York," she said.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because our holiday is over."

Miss Thorne regarded him with chill severity.

"When may we expect to see you?" she inquired.

He really felt half stupefied,--as if for the time being his will was
paralyzed.

"I don't know," he answered.

He tried to think that he was treated badly and coldly. He told himself
that he had done nothing to deserve this style of thing, that he had
simply been busy and absorbed in his work, and that if he had at times
appeared preoccupied it was not to be wondered at. But when he looked
at Rebecca he did not put these thoughts into words; he did not even say
that of course he should follow them soon, since there was nothing to
detain him but a sketch or two he had meant to make.

By night they were gone and he was left restless and miserable. He was
so restless that he could not sleep but wandered down toward the spring.
He stopped at the exact point at which he had stopped on the night of
his arrival--at the top of the zigzag little path leading down the rocky
incline. He stopped because he heard a sound of passionate
sobbi