ed. 'I have never thought! I have no
business to know!'

And lifting her head for a moment, with eyes all grave and
troubled and almost tearful, she looked into the face of the
old Norwegian, mutely beseeching her to be merciful, and not
push her advantage any further.

'I know!' said Gyda, softly. 'But it's only me.' And as if
recognizing a bond which Wych Hazel did not, she lifted one
little white hand in her two brown ones and kissed it.

'Everybody shews me their hearts,' she went on; 'but it's all
here,' touching her breast, and meaning probably that it went
no further. 'May I love my lad's lady a little bit?'

A strangely humble, wistful, sweet look she bent on Hazel as
she spoke, to which the girl herself, too dumbfounded and
shaken off her feet to quite know where she was, could find no
better answer than a full rush of bright drops to her eyes,
coming she knew not whence; and then a deep suffusion of
throat and cheeks and brow, but was much better recognized and
said it meant to stay. Her head went down again.

'Now, it's only me,' said the old woman, quietly again. But
Rollo's voice was heard from somewhere speaking her name, and
she hurried out. There was a little interval, and then she
came back bearing dishes to set on the table. Back and forth
she went several times, and very likely had found more things
to take up Rollo's attention; for he came not until she had
her board all ready and summoned him. It was a well spread
board when all was done. Shallow dishes of porridge, piles of
fladbrod, bowls of cream, peaches, and coffee. And when Gyda
with due care had made a cup for Wych Hazel and brought it to
her hand, the little lady was obliged to confess that it was
better than even Chickaree manufacture. And the porridge was
no brown farinaceous mass in a rough and crude state, but came
to table in thin, gelatinous cakes, sweet and excellent when
broken into the cream. But if Wych Hazel had been afterwards
put in the witness-box to tell what she had been eating, I
think she would have refused to be sworn. The sheer necessity
of the case had made her hold up her head--cool her cheeks she
could not; but she took what was given her, and talked of it
and praised it almost as steadily as if she had known what it
was. Only, as extreme timidity is with some people an
unnerving thing, there were moments when, do what she would,
her lips must be screened behind the cup, and words that she
said which were alm