look prettier than I ever saw you look but once before." He kept his
eyes upon her face and watched the sweet color steal up to her drooping
eyelashes.

"When was that?" she asked coyly, to hide her embarrassment, and sweeping
him one laughing glance.

"Why, that night, dear, at the gate, in the moonlight. Don't you
remember?"

"Oh-h-h-h!" Marcia caught her breath and a thrill of joy passed through
her that made her close her eyes lest the glad tears should come. Then the
little bird in her heart set up the song in earnest to the tune of Wonder:
"He loves me, He loves me, He loves me!"

He leaned a little closer to her.

"If there were not so many people looking I think I should have to kiss
you now."

"Oh-h-h-h!" said Marcia drawing in her breath and looking around
frightened on the number of people that were driving all about them, for
they were come almost to the railroad now, and could see the black smoke
of the engine a little beyond as it stood puffing and snorting upon its
track like some sulky animal that had been caught and chained and
harnessed and was longing to leap forward and upset its load.

But though Marcia looked about in her happy fright, and sat a trifle
straighter in the chaise, she did not move her hand away that lay next
David's, underneath the linen lap robe, and he put his own hand over it
and covered it close in his firm hold. Marcia trembled and was so happy
she was almost faint with joy. She wondered if she were very foolish
indeed to feel so, and if all love had this terrible element of solemn joy
in it that made it seem too great to be real.

They had to stop a number of times to speak to people. Everybody knew
David, it appeared. This man and that had a word to speak with him, some
bit of news that he must not omit to notice in his article, some new
development about the attitude of a man of influence that was important;
the change of two or three of those who were to go in the coaches on this
trial trip.

To all of them David introduced his wife, with a ring of pride in his
voice as he said the words "My wife," and all of them stopped whatever
business they had in hand and stepped back to bow most deferentially to
the beautiful woman who sat smiling by his side. They wondered why they
had not heard of her before, and they looked curiously, enviously at
David, and back in admiration at Marcia. It was quite a little court she
held sitting there in the chaise by David's side.