s full of suggestive
mysteries, and--most wonderful of all--had not called for drinks.
Poussette was so far keeping his own vow made to Ringfield and Miss
Cordova, but at any moment an outbreak might occur, for excitement
breeds thirst even in sober individuals.

Outside the lighted window walked Ringfield to and fro, waiting till
the Englishman should emerge and go to his shack, but as the reader
knows this did not happen. He saw the light carried about, then it
entirely disappeared, and afterwards two lights appeared upstairs, but
in opposite ends of the house; Crabbe had escorted Pauline to her door
and then betaken himself to the small room at one side which coincided
with that occupied by Miss Cordova at the other. It was not long
before everything was dark and quiet, and Ringfield, extremely baffled
and uneasy, turned to go home. But Alexis Gagnon, supposing the
minister upstairs and asleep, had locked the door, and now the only
mode of entrance possible was the undignified one of climbing the rude
fence and scaling the well-remembered balcony which led to his room.
This brought him very close to Pauline's chamber, looking on the
familiar balcony, but he could detect nothing wrong or unusual;
Poussette was wrapped in sleep and even Martin, the Indian guide and
choreman, had evidently long gone his rounds and entered the house.

Ringfield could not be expected to understand the sudden change in
Crabbe's fortunes, and he spent the rest of that night in dreary and
bitter speculations as to the probable causes which had led Pauline to
desert him openly for the Englishman. Why had he not the power, the
audacity, the social courage which the guide undoubtedly possessed, to
seize her and bear her off bodily on these occasions? This--a relic of
savagery--would alone overcome the ease with which Crabbe confronted
him, and despite vices and faults usually carried off the palm. As one
progressed the other retrograded; the Englishman, dreaming of a good
name and character restored, lay peacefully beneath Poussette's roof,
not worrying about Pauline, for he knew that, short of the marriage
ceremony, he had the strongest right and authority any man could have
over her; while Ringfield, distrusting and suspecting every one around
him, tossed and sighed all night, wondering what stability there was in
her mind and what worth he might set upon her promises. Some
deterioration, some loss of fine simplicity, some decrease in