red in
me lives still, and woe betide the man or woman who rouses it!"

Instinctively Eve shrank back: the look of pent-up passion frightened
her and made her whole body shiver.

"There! there! don't alarm yourself," said Adam, passing his hand over
his forehead as if to brush away the traces which this outburst had
occasioned: "I don't want to frighten you. All I want to know is, can
you give me the love I ask of you?"

"I couldn't bear to be suspected," faltered Eve.

"Then act so that you would be above suspicion."

"With a person always on the watch, looking out for this and that, so
that one would be afraid to speak or open one's mouth, I don't see how
one could possibly be happy," said Eve. "All one did, all one said,
might be taken wrongly, and when one were most innocent one might be
thought most guilty. No: I don't think I could stand that, Adam."

"Very well," he said coldly. "If you feel your love is too weak to bear
that, and a great deal more than that, you are very wise to withhold it
from me: those who have much to give require much in return."

"Oh, don't think I haven't that in me which would make my love equal
yours any day," said Eve, nettled at the doubt which Adam had flung at
her. "If I gave any one my heart, I should give it all; but when I do
that I hope it will be to somebody who won't doubt me and suspect me."

"Then I'd advise you not to give them cause to," said Adam.

"And I'd advise you to keep your cautions for those that need them,"
replied Eve, rising from where she had been sitting and turning her face
in the direction of home.

"Oh, you needn't fear being troubled by any more I shall say," said
Adam: "I'm only sorry that I've been led to say what I have."

"Pray don't let that trouble you: such things, with me, go in at one ear
and out at the other."

"In that case I won't waste any more words," said Adam; "so if you can
keep your tongue still you needn't fear being obliged to listen to
anything I shall say."

Eve gave a little scornful inclination of her head in token of the
accepted silence between them, and in silence the two commenced their
walk and took their way toward home.

CHAPTER XX.

Except the long surging roll of the waves, as in monotonous succession
they dashed and broke against the rocks, not a sound was to be heard.
The night had grown more lowering: the sprinkle of stars was hid behind
the dense masses of cloud, through which, ever and anon, the mo