d, this everlasting loafing comes mighty
hard to me. I believe once I knew we were victorious I could let go
everything and die happy."

Helen heard, and, overwrought as she was by nights of assiduous care,
the speech both pained and angered her. Geoffrey's answer was not
audible, as they passed on. He came back alone, off his guard for a
moment, looking worn and weary, and Mrs. Savine said:

"You are tired, Geoffrey, and if you don't appear more lively next time
I will attend to you. No--don't get scared. It is not physic I'm
going to prescribe now. Take this lounge and just sit here where it's
cosy. Talk to Helen and me until supper's ready."

Thurston had been crawling over ice-crusted rocks and wading knee-deep
in water most of the preceding night. The chair stood temptingly
between the two ladies and near the stove. He glanced towards it and
Helen longingly. Some impulse tempted the girl to say:

"Mr. Thurston has usually so little time to spare that it would be
almost too much to hope that he could devote an hour to us."

The tone was ironical, and Geoffrey, excusing himself, went out. He
sighed as he floundered down the snow-cumbered trail. There was
indignation in the elder lady's voice as she declared:

"I am ashamed of you, Helen. The poor man came in too late, for
dinner, and he must be starving. If you had just seen how he looked at
you! You'd feel mean and sorry if they found him to-morrow frozen hard
in the snow."

Helen could not fancy Geoffrey overcome by such a journey because he
had missed two meals, and she smiled at her aunt's dismal picture,
answering her with a flippancy which increased the elder lady's
indignation, "Mr. Thurston is not a cannibal, auntie."

"I can't figure why you are fooling with that man if you don't want
him," said Mrs. Savine. "Oh, yes; you're going to sit here and listen
to some straight talking. Isn't he good enough for you?"

Helen's face was flushed with angry color. "You speak with unpleasant
frankness, but I will endeavor to answer you," she responded. "I have
told Mr. Thurston--that is, I have tried to warn him that he was
expecting the impossible, and what more could I do? He is my father's
partner, and I cannot refuse to see him. I----"

Mrs. Savine, leaning forward, took her niece's hands in her own, saying
gravely, "Are you certain it is quite impossible?"

For a moment Helen looked startled, and her eyes fell. Then, raising
her he