ences, his interrupted studies, a long train of
disasters to follow being pictured with stern distinctness. Rast
listened to the sermon, or rather sat through it, without impatience: he
had a fine sunny temper, and few things troubled him. He seldom gave
any attention to subtleties of meaning, or under-currents, but took the
surface impression, and answered it promptly, often putting to rout by
his directness trains of reasoning much deeper than his own. So now all
he said was, "I could not help coming, sir, because Annet is going away;
I wanted to see her." And the old man was silenced in spite of himself.

As he was there, and it could not be helped, Rast, by common consent of
the island, was allowed to spend several days unmolested among his old
haunts. Then they all began to grow restive, to ask questions, and to
speak of the different boats. For the public of small villages has
always a singular impatience as to anything like uncertainty in the date
of departure of its guests. Many a miniature community has been stirred
into heat because it could not find out the day and hour when Mrs. Blank
would terminate her visit at her friend's mansion, and with her trunk
and bag depart on her way to the railway station; and this not because
the community has any objection to Mrs. Blank, or any wish to have her
depart, but simply because if she is going, they wish to know _when_,
and have it settled. The few days over, Rast himself was not unwilling
to go. He had seen Anne, and Anne was pressed with work, and so
constantly threatened by grief that she had to hold it down with an iron
effort at almost every moment. If she kept her eyes free from tears and
her voice steady, she did all she could; she had no idea that Rast
expected more. Rast meanwhile had learned clearly that he was a
remarkably handsome, brilliant young fellow, and that the whole world
was before him where to choose. He was fond of Anne; the best feelings
of his nature and the associations of his whole boyhood's life were
twined round her; and yet he was conscious that he had always been very
kind to her, and this coming back to the island on purpose to see
her--that was remarkably kind. He was glad to do it, of course; but she
must appreciate it. He began now to feel that as he had seen her, and as
he could not in any case stay until she went, he might as well go. He
yielded, therefore, to the first suggestion of the higher powers,
saying, however, frankly, and