miliation, and depart into that gray cold mist where his duty lay.
It is thus that young men occasionally design to burst from the circle of
the passions, and think that they have done it, when indeed they are but
making the circle more swiftly. Here was Evan mouthing his farewell to
Rose, using phrases so profoundly humble, that a listener would have
taken them for bitter irony. He said adieu to her,--pronouncing it with a
pathos to melt scornful princesses. He tried to be honest, and was as
much so as his disease permitted.

The black cloud had swallowed the sun; and turning off to the short cut
across the downs, Evan soon rode between the wind and the storm. He could
see the heavy burden breasting the beacon-point, round which curled
leaden arms, and a low internal growl saluted him advancing. The horse
laid back his ears. A last gust from the opposing quarter shook the
furzes and the clumps of long pale grass, and straight fell columns of
rattling white rain, and in a minute he was closed in by a hissing ring.
Men thus pelted abandon without protest the hope of retaining a dry
particle of clothing on their persons. Completely drenched, the track
lost, everything in dense gloom beyond the white enclosure that moved
with him, Evan flung the reins to the horse, and curiously watched him
footing on; for physical discomfort balanced his mental perturbation, and
he who had just been chafing was now quite calm.

Was that a shepherd crouched under the thorn? The place betokened a
shepherd, but it really looked like a bundle of the opposite sex; and it
proved to be a woman gathered up with her gown over her head. Apparently,
Mr. Evan Harrington was destined for these encounters. The thunder rolled
as he stopped by her side and called out to her. She heard him, for she
made a movement, but without sufficiently disengaging her head of its
covering to show him a part of her face.

Bellowing against the thunder, Evan bade her throw back her garment, and
stand and give him up her arms, that he might lift her on the horse
behind him.

There came a muffled answer, on a big sob, as it seemed. And as if heaven
paused to hear, the storm was mute.

Could he have heard correctly? The words he fancied he had heard sobbed
were:

'Best bonnet.'

The elements hereupon crashed deep and long from end to end, like a table
of Titans passing a jest.

Rain-drops, hard as hail, were spattering a pool on her head. Evan
stooped his shoulde