d to her son, who had seen her
caress, and blushed and thrilled as if he had given it himself. "You
must remember you are very young, Lawrence," said she; "you must
remember that a man has no right to follow his mind until he has
proved it, and you must remember your father."

And Lawrence had blushed and paled a little, and said, "Yes, mother,"
soberly, and gone away up-stairs to his own chamber, where he had
some wakeful hours, and when he fell asleep often started awake
again, with his heart throbbing in his side with that same joyful
pain as when he kissed pretty Elmira.

As for Elmira, she did not sleep at all, and came down in the morning
with young eyes like stars of love, which no dawn could dim. For six
years the memory of that kiss, which had never been repeated, for
Elmira had never seen Lawrence alone since, had been to her her
sweetest honey savor of life. Lucky it was for her that young
Lawrence, if the taste had not been in his heart as in hers during
his busy life in other scenes, had still the memory of its sweetness
left.

When they had passed through the avenue of brook willows, and the
brook itself had wound away through fields spotted as with emeralds
and gold, and then had passed some pasture-lands where red cattle
were grazing, and then came to a little stretch of pines, beyond
which the white walls of a house glimmered, Lawrence held up his arms
to Elmira. "It isn't necessary," said he, "but if you don't want to
ride my horse, with me leading him, past the houses there, why, I'll
take you down, as I said."

And with that Elmira slipped down, and Lawrence had kissed her again,
and she had not chidden him, and was following after him, trembling
and quite pale, except for the reflection of her pink sunbonnet,
while he rode slowly ahead.

When the cluster of houses were well passed he stopped and lifted
her again to the mare's saddle, and the old shyness of the
blackberry-field was over both of them again as they went on their
way. In truth, Lawrence was sorely bewildered betwixt his impulse of
young love and innocent conviction that his honor ought to be pledged
with the kiss, since they were boy and girl no longer, and his memory
of his father and what he might decree for him. As for Elmira, she
was much troubled in mind lest she ought to rebuke the young man for
his boldness, but could not bring herself so to do, not being certain
that she had not kissed him back and been as guilty as he.