th every gentle word that fell from her sweet lips, he was feeling
more and more how utterly useless would be any attempt to come between
her and her lover. And looking at her he could not think of making any
such attempt. When an all-absorbing love has taken complete possession
of an empty and worldly heart, that heart becomes more powerless before
that love, than a fuller and softer heart ever does. He could not speak,
but he murmured something and she went on:--

"How sweet it is to be here alone with you, like this, in the dear,
dark, big, old room. Why, uncle, dear, it seems only yesterday that you
were rocking me in my cradle, over there in the chimney-corner; when you
were already petting and spoiling me, just as you have always done. And
to think that I am talking to you to-night about my Paul! Can you
realize that it's true? Well, it is--the very truest thing in all the
world."

She paused for a moment, but she did not observe that he made no
response, and she began again:--

"You see, dear uncle, I didn't mean to love him. I meant to love William
and I did in a way as I do now. He is such a good man, but I have found
out that goodness, just by itself, is not enough. It may make love last,
but it can't make it begin. Why, I never even thought whether my Paul
was good or not. I must have loved him just the same."

"But you couldn't love a man if you found out that he was bad, after
believing him to be good. It wouldn't be possible for you to do that,
would it?" in strange, agitated haste.

She lifted her head and looked at him wonderingly. "I don't know what
you mean. My Paul is good! Why, he is here in the wilderness solely for
love of humanity, giving his strength, his skill, his time, and all that
he has to the service of his country and his kind, just because he is
good, and for no other reason. There is no better man living, not even
Father Orin, not even you, sir," throwing her arms around his knee and
giving it a loving squeeze. "And you know it, too, you are only laughing
at me. I don't mind at all. I am too happy to care for teasing."

She laid her head back on his knees and fell happily silent, gazing
dreamily into the flames. The wind was rising, and went roaring through
the trees around the house; but she heard it with the peaceful feeling
of shelter and safety that only happiness feels in wild weather.
Presently she asked him if he thought that souls could speak to one
another.

"It was at A