His lips moved and the word "God" made itself faintly heard. Pauline
went closer to him and saw the set strain of his face and watched the
tightening fingers.

"Oh, you are right--we torture you, he and I, with our foolish ways
that you do not understand!"

"I understand well enough," he returned below his breath; "I understand
better than you think. But come now, come away with me!"

"Come--where? I am living here, remember!"

"Come away--away!"

A new recklessness animated Ringfield; he was now the one to dash aside
convention and make a bold attempt for mastery. "It is not yet very
late. The snow is dry and hard--we can walk for half an hour."

Crabbe smiled in a slow infuriating way.

"I claim, I demand the lady for something better than a walk, under
dreary midnight skies, over cold and inhospitable winter snows! Like a
man in a certain chronicle I have made a supper and would bid you both
attend--one at least."

"A supper? But whom----" Pauline stopped, although glad of the
diversion Crabbe's words offered. She had seen him hand a couple of
bills towards the Tremblay fund; she now recollected preparations
towards extra cooking during that day, which she had set down to
Poussette's mania for treating and feeding people, but which now must
be attributed to the guide, and in her hand were the forced roses sent
from Montreal--there was no nearer place. Crabbe must be out of his
senses, for never before even in the old days when his remittance came
to hand had she seen him so lavish. He read her meaning.

"Who pays, eh! Is that it, my lady? Well, I do on this occasion, and
the fact is--well, I'll tell you all about it at supper."

Pauline, still incredulous but extremely curious, took small notice of
Ringfield after this, and as Enderby was approaching, and she
particularly avoided meeting anyone from Hawthorne on all occasions,
she departed with the guide. There was a very attractive supper ready
for her in a private room, where Miss Cordova was also present in her
Spanish costume, a giddy chaperone who soon retired and left the two
together, and Pauline could hardly credit the fact that Crabbe was
genuinely sober, clad in his irreproachable evening suit, his hair
neatly brushed with a kind of military cut, and his features composed
and pleased, recalling much of what he had been when first they met;
and she also observed with much surprise that Poussette was present at
the feast altogethe