She held in her hand the volume which, although she did not
tell him so, had taken her a half-hour to select in Mr. Petter's book
room. Shortly they were seated together, and he was answering her
questions which, as she knew, related to the most interesting
experiences of his life. As he spoke his eyes glistened and her soul
warmed. He did not wish that this should be so. He wanted to bring this
interview to an end. He was nervously anxious to go back on the lawn,
that he might see Miss Mayberry when she came out of doors; that he
might show her the lines of "Pickwick" which he had put into Greek, and
which she was to turn back into English.

But he could not cut short the interview. Miss Calthea was not an
Ancient Mariner; she had never even seen the sea, and she had no
glittering eye, but she held him with a listening ear, and never was
wedding guest, or any other man, held more securely.

Minutes, quarter-hours, half-hours passed and still he talked and she
listened. She guided his speech as a watchful sailor guides his ship,
and whichever way she turned it the wind always filled his sails. For
the first ten minutes he had been ill at ease, but after that he had
begun to feel that he had never so much enjoyed talking. In time he
forgot everything but what he had to say, and it was rapture to be able
to say it, and to feel that never before had he said it so well.

His back was towards the inn, but through some trees Miss Calthea could
see that Mr. Petter's spring wagon, drawn by the two grays, Stolzenfels
and Falkenberg, was at the door, and soon she perceived that Mr. Lodloe
was in the driver's place, and that Mrs. Cristie, with Ida Mayberry
holding the baby, was on the back seat. The place next Lodloe was
vacant, and they seemed to be waiting for some one. Then Lanigan Beam
came up. There was a good deal of conversation, in which he seemed to
be giving information, and presently he sprang up beside the driver and
they were off. The party were going for a long drive, Miss Calthea
thought, because Mrs. Petter had come out and had put a covered basket
into the back of the wagon.

Mr. Tippengray was so absorbed in the interest of what he was saying
that he did not hear the roll of the departing wheels, and Miss Calthea
allowed him to talk on for nearly a quarter of an hour until she thought
she had exhausted the branch of the subject on which he was engaged, and
was sure the spring wagon was out of sight and hearin