together, and, after coming so near a
disaster, had ended in a mere humiliation and disappointment, and but
for Master Gridley's discreet kindness might have led to foolish
scandal, Myrtle had never referred to it in any way. Nobody really knew
what her plans had been except Olive and Cyprian, who had observed a
very kind silence about the whole matter. The common version of the
story was harmless, and near enough to the truth,--down the river,--boat
upset,--pulled out,--taken care of by some women in a house farther
down,--sick, brain fever,--pretty near it, anyhow,--old Dr. Hurlbut
called in,--had her hair cut,--hystericky, etc., etc.

Myrtle was contented with this statement, and asked no questions, and it
was a perfectly understood thing that nobody alluded to the subject in
her presence. It followed from all this that the name of Clement Lindsay
had no peculiar meaning for her. Nor was she like to recognize him as
the youth in whose company she had gone through her mortal peril, for
all her recollections were confused and dream-like from the moment when
she awoke and found herself in the foaming rapids just above the fall,
until that when her senses returned, and she saw Master Byles Gridley
standing over her with that look of tenderness in his square features
which had lingered in her recollection, and made her feel towards him as
if she were his daughter.

Now this had its advantage; for as Clement was Susan's young man, and
had been so for two or three years, it would have been a great pity to
have any such curious relations established between him and Myrtle
Hazard as a consciousness on both sides of what had happened would
naturally suggest.

"Who is this Clement Lindsay, Bathsheba?" Myrtle asked.

"Why, Myrtle, don't you remember about Susan Posey's is-to-be,--the
young man that has been--well, I don't know, but I suppose engaged to
her ever since they were children almost?"

"Yes, yes, I remember now. O dear! I have forgotten so many things I
should think I had been dead and was coming back to life again. Do you
know anything about him, Bathsheba? Didn't somebody say he was very
handsome? I wonder if he is really in love with Susan Posey. Such a
simple thing! I want to see him. I have seen so few young men."

As Myrtle said these words, she lifted the sleeve a little on her left
arm, by a half-instinctive and half-voluntary movement. The glimmering
gold of Judith Pride's bracelet flashed out the yellow