ut the instant she saw him, she perceived that it was something
more decisive than he had ever shown sign of before. He looked tired,
and at the same time as if his spirit was upwrought within him and his
will set to some purpose.

"I'm real glad to see you," he said, but not pleasantly. "I've been
looking for you; and it's just as well for you I found you without more
ado."

"I'm just going out," said Eliza; "I can't stay now."

"You'll just stop a bit where you are, and hear what I'm going to say."

"I can't," said she, angrily; but he was at the door, and she made no
movement towards it.

He talked right on. "I'm going away," he said. "I've packed up all that
I possess here in this place, and I'm going to depart by this
afternoon's train. No one much knows of this intention. I take it you
won't interfere, so I don't mind confiding my design to your _kind_ and
_sympathetic_ breast."

The emphasis he laid on the eulogy was evidently intended for bitter
sarcasm. Anger gave her unwonted glibness.

"I'll ask you to be good enough to pay our bill, then. If you're making
off because you can't pay your other debts it's no affair of mine."

He bowed mockingly. "You are real kind. Can't think how much obliged I
am for your tactful reminder; but it don't happen to be my financial
affairs that I came to introdooce to your notice." He stammered a
moment, as if carried rather out of his bearings by his own loquacity.
"It's--it's rather _your_ finances that I wish to enlarge upon."

She opposed herself to him in cold silence that would not betray a gleam
of curiosity.

"You're a mighty fine young lady, upon my word!" he observed, running
his eye visibly over her apparel. "Able to work for yourself, and buy
silk skirts, and owning half a bit of ground that people are beginning
to think will be worth something considerable when they get to mining
there. Oh, you're a fine one--what with your qualities and your
fortune!"

A sudden unbecoming colour came with tell-tale vehemence over her cheek
and brow.

"Your qualities of mind, as I've remarked, are fine; but the qualities
of your heart, my dear, are finer still. I've been making love to you,
with the choicest store of loving arts, for eight long months; and the
first blush I've been enabled to raise on your lovely countenance is
when I tell you you've more money than you looked for! You're a
tender-hearted young lady!"

"The only train I ever heard of on Sunday aftern