ng by me, and I--almost took it. I should have slipped away
from between you two, I was so bent upon doing it,--only, the warning
saved me from such a sin. It will never be again," she added as she saw
his eyes dilate with questioning horror. "That temptation has gone. I
have accepted my lot, for it was permitted to come, or even that wicked
man could not have brought it. But now, think, think how I must long to
do some little thing, not to atone, that's impossible, but to make life
not quite so hard to you, and to her. Now, this has come for you. Take
it, I entreat you. Some day I may be able to help her in some way; I
think it will be so."

He looked into her eyes as she raised them to his.

"But you didn't mean to--do all this, if it is done," he said. "There's
no need of talking about atoning, as if you were guilty of anything."

"But, then, I ought to have refused; it was my place. It would have
saved everything."

"You wanted to," he said, "and you yielded to oblige Katie."

She looked relieved at his answer. It surprised him; he wondered that he
had remembered her hesitation.

"You will do this thing?" she persisted. "You see it is your duty."

"Do you know the reason you are so anxious to have me do it?" he asked,
the momentary softening of his face gone. "It's out of no love for
Katie, or friendliness to me."

"No," she said to his last statement, and added, "Yes, I know; I've seen
it."

"What is it?"

"I suppose," she said, humbly, "that it's my pride.

"Yes," he cried, "that's what it is--your pride. Well, I have my pride,
too. I'll take your money, when you love me--when it's the gift of your
love, as I said--no sooner; I shall have to do without it this year, I'm
afraid."

Her eyes swept him from head to foot in an indignant glance. Then she
turned and walked away as if disdaining further speech. He bowed in
silence as he opened the door for her, looking at her with a mocking
smile, and even as he did so taking in every line of her graceful
figure, the pose of her head, and the flush upon her face. In answer to
the taunt she did speak one sentence under her breath, but he caught
it:--

"You are not the only one," she said.

When he had closed the door after her he walked slowly the length of the
room, and, standing by the window, in another moment saw her pass by on
her way to the shore where she had learned that the party had gone. If
they were already sailing it was no matter; she could