ad intimated that if the unpleasant thing were forced upon him he was
ready to meet it.

Now, reason as she would, Mrs. Archibald could not banish from her mind
the belief that Arthur Raybold would come to their camp some time during
the next day. In fact, not having heard otherwise, she supposed he had
come to the camp-fire that night. She was filled with anger and contempt
for the young man who was determined to force himself on their party in
this outrageous manner, and considered it shameful that their peaceful
life in these woods had been so wickedly disturbed. No wonder she did not
want to sleep; no wonder she sat at the window thinking and thinking.

Presently she saw some one walking over the open space towards the cabin,
and she could not fail to recognize the figure with the long stride, the
folded arms, and the bowed head. He passed the window and then he turned
and repassed it, then he turned and walked by again, this time a little
nearer than before.

"This is too much!" said Mrs. Archibald. "The next thing he will be
tapping at her window. I will go out and speak my mind to him."

Opening the door very softly, and without even stopping to throw a shawl
over her head and shoulders, Mrs. Archibald stepped outside into the
night. Raybold was now at a little distance from the cabin, in the
direction of Camp Roy, and was just about to turn when she hurried up to
him.

"Mr. Raybold," she said, speaking low and rapidly, "if you possessed a
spark of gentlemanly feeling you would be ashamed to come into this camp
when you have been ordered out of it. My husband has told you he does not
want you here, and now I tell you that I do not want you here. It pains me
to be obliged to speak to any one in this manner, but it is plain that no
other sort of speech will affect you. Now, sir, I know your object, and I
will not have you wandering up and down here in front of our cabin. I wish
you to go to your own camp, and that immediately."

Raybold stood and listened to her without a word until she had finished,
and then he said:

"Madam, there has been a good deal of talk about knowing ourselves and
showing ourselves to others. Now I know myself very well indeed, and I
will show myself to you by saying that when my heart is interested I obey
no orders, I pay no attention to mandates of any sort. Until I can say
what I have to say I will watch and I will wait, but I shall not draw
back."

For the first time in fifteen