ese lights fell on Hetty's face, Dr. Eben
started to see how white it was. Involuntarily he put his arm around
her; and exclaimed "How pale you are, my poor Hetty! you are all worn
out;" and, half supporting her with his arm, he laid his free hand
gently on her hair.

Hetty was very tired; very cold; half asleep, and half frightened. She
dropped her head on his shoulder for a second, and said: "Oh, what a
comfort you are!"

The words had hardly left her lips when Doctor Eben threw both his arms
around her, and held her tightly to his breast, whispering:

"Indeed, I will be a comfort to you, Hetty, if you will only let me."

Hetty struggled and began to speak.

"Hush! you will wake Raby," he said, and still held her firmly, looking
unpityingly down into her face.

"You do love me, Hetty," he whispered triumphantly.

The front stick on the fire broke, fell in two blazing upright brands to
right and left, and cast a sudden flood of light on the two figures in
the doorway. Sally and Raby slept on. Still Doctor Eben held Hetty
close, and looked with a keen and exultant gaze into her eyes.

"It isn't fair when I am so cold and sleepy," whispered Hetty, with a
half twinkle in her half-open eyes.

"It is fair! It is fair! Any thing is fair! Every thing is fair,"
exclaimed the doctor in a whisper which seemed to ring like a shout, and
he kissed Hetty again and again. Still Sally and Raby slept on: the
hickory fire leaped up as in joy; and a sudden wind shook the windows.

Hetty struggled once more to free herself, but the arms were like arms
of oak.

"Say that you love me, Hetty," pleaded the doctor.

"When you let me go, perhaps I will," whispered Hetty.

Instantly the arms fell; and the doctor stood opposite her in the
doorway, his head bent forward and his eyes fixed on her face.

Hetty cast her eyes down. Words did not come. It would have been easier
to have said them while she was held close to Doctor Eben's side.
Suddenly, before he had a suspicion of what she was about to do, she had
darted away, was lost in the darkness, and in a second more he heard her
door shut at the farther end of the hall.

Dr. Eben laughed a low and pleasant laugh. "She might as well have said
it," he thought: "she will say it to-morrow. I have won!" and he sank
into the great white dimity-covered chair, at the head of Raby's bed,
and looked into the fire. The very coals seemed to marshal themselves
into shapes befitting his triu