e to the bottom of the bottle with upstanding,
jagged edges, containing a few drops, he glanced at her room, saw that
she was undressing in the dark, and lifting it, he poured the liquid on
his tongue to the last drop that would fall.

CHAPTER XVI

THE WORK OF THE SUN

BEFORE Kate awakened the following morning George was out feeding the
horses, cattle, and chickens, doing the milking, and working like the
proverbial beaver. By the time breakfast was ready, he had convinced
himself that he was a very exemplary man, while he expected Kate to be
convinced also. He stood ready and willing to forgive her for every
mean deceit and secret sin he ever had committed, or had it in his
heart to commit in the future. All the world was rosy with him, he was
flying with the wings of hope straight toward a wonderful achievement
that would bring pleasure and riches, first to George Holt, then to his
wife and children, then to the old aunt he really cared more for than
any one else.

Incidentally, his mother might have some share, while he would bring
such prosperity and activity to the village that all Walden would
forget every bad thing it had ever thought or known of him, and delight
to pay him honour. Kate might have guessed all this when she saw the
pails full of milk on the table, and heard George whistling "Hail the
Conquering Hero Comes," as he turned the cows into the pasture; but she
had not slept well. Most of the night she had lain staring at the
ceiling, her brain busy with calculations, computations, most of all
with personal values.

She dared not be a party to anything that would lose Aunt Ollie her
land; that was settled; but if she went into the venture herself, if
she kept the deeds in Aunt Ollie's name, the bank account in hers, drew
all the checks, kept the books, would it be safe? Could George buy
timber as he thought; could she, herself, if he failed? The children
were old enough to be in school now, she could have much of the day,
she could soon train Polly and Adam to do even more than sweep and run
errands; the scheme could be materialized in the Bates way, without a
doubt; but could it be done in a Bates way, hampered and impeded by
George Holt? Was the plan feasible, after all? She entered into the
rosy cloud enveloping the kitchen without ever catching the faintest
gleam of its hue. George came to her the instant he saw her and tried
to put his arm around her. Kate drew back and looked