cott had kept his son very close when he was home
on his vacations, and not allowed him to mingle much with the village
young people. That summer when Elmira was sixteen there had been
company in the doctor's house, and she had been summoned to assist in
the extra work. Somehow time had hung idly on young Lawrence's hands
that summer; the guests in the house were staid elderly folk and no
company for him. There was also much sickness in the village, and his
father was not as watchful as usual. It happened that Lawrence, for
lack of other amusement, would often saunter about the domestic
byways of the house, and had a hand in various tasks which brought
him into working partnership with pretty, young Elmira--such as
stemming currants or shelling pease and beans. On several occasions,
also, he and Elmira had roamed the pastures in search of blackberries
for tea. Once when they were out together, and had been picking a
long time from one fat bush, neither saying a word--for a strange
silence which abashed them both, though they knew not why, had come
between them--the girl, moved thereto by some quick impulse of
maidenly concealment and shame which she did not herself understand,
made some light and trivial remark about the size of the fruit, which
would well have acquit her had not her little voice broken with utter
self-betrayal of innocent love and passion. And then young Lawrence,
with a quick motion, as of fire which leaps to flame after a long
smoulder, flung an arm about her, with a sigh of "Oh, Elmira!" and
kissed her on her mouth.

Then they had quickly stood apart, as if afraid of each other, and
finished picking their berries and gone home soberly, with scarce a
word. But all the time it was as if invisible cords, which no
stretching could thin or break, bound them together, and when they
entered the house Doctor Prescott's wife, Lydia, looked at them both
with a gentle, yet keen and troubled air. That night, when Elmira
went home, she said to her softly that since the baking was all done
for the week, and the guests were to leave in three days, and the
weather was so warm, and she looked tired, she need not come again.
But she drew her to her gently, as she spoke, with one great
mother-arm, pressed the little dark head of the girl against her
breast, and kissed her. Lydia Prescott was a large woman, shaped like
a queen, but she was softer in her ways than Elmira's own mother.

When the girl had gone she turne