as to the call of the voice she
responded. His was the fibre which grows stronger in times of crisis.
Sure of himself, proud of the love which he declared, he spoke as a man
who has earned that for which he prays,--simply and with dignity.

"I love you," he said; "I have known it since I have known you, but you
must see why I could not tell you so. It was very hard, for there were
times when I led myself to believe that you might come to love me. There
were times when I should have gone away if I hadn't made a promise to
stay in Ripton. I ask you to marry me, because I--know that I shall love
you as long as I live. I can give you this, at least, and I can promise
to protect and cherish you. I cannot give you that to which you have been
accustomed all your life, that which you have here at Fairview, but I
shouldn't say this to you if I believed that you cared for them above
--other things."

"Oh, Austen!" she cried, "I do not--I--do not! They would be hateful to
me--without you. I would rather live with you--at Jabe Jenney's," and her
voice caught in an exquisite note between laughter and tears. "I love
you, do you understand, you! Oh, how could you ever have doubted it? How
could you? What you believe, I believe. And, Austen, I have been so
unhappy for three days."

He never knew whether, as the most precious of graces ever conferred upon
man, with a womanly gesture she had raised her arms and laid her hands
upon his shoulders before he drew her to him and kissed her face, that
vied in colour with the coming glow in the western sky. Above the prying
eyes of men, above the world itself, he held her, striving to realize
some little of the vast joy of this possession, and failing. And at last
she drew away from him, gently, that she might look searchingly into his
face again, and shook her head slowly.

"And you were going away," she said, "without a word I thought--you
didn't care. How could I have known that you were just--stupid?"

His eyes lighted with humour and tenderness.

"How long have you cared, Victoria?" he asked.

She became thoughtful.

"Always, I think," she answered; "only I didn't know it. I think I loved
you even before I saw you."

"Before you saw me!"

"I think it began," said Victoria, "when I learned that you had shot Mr.
Blodgett--only I hope you will never do such a thing again. And you will
please try to remember," she added, after a moment, "that I am neither
Eben Fitch nor your friend