ion
was full of repressed impatience. Pere Michaux, himself more perturbed
and angry than so slight a hurt would seem to justify, happening to look
at her, was seized with an idea. "Run up, child," he said, "and join
Anne; do not leave her again. Tell her what has happened, and--mind what
I say exactly, Tita--do not leave her."

Tita was off up the path and out of sight in an instant. The old priest,
left to himself, hobbled slowly down the hill and across the garden to
the Agency, not without some difficulty and pain.

Anne had gone up to the heights, and seated herself in good faith to
wait for the others; Rast had gone after the dog in good faith, and not
to seek Anne. Yet they met, and the others did not find them.

The dog ran away, and Rast after him, down the north path for a mile,
and then straight into the fir wood, where nothing can be caught, man or
dog. So Rast came back, not by the path, but through the forest, and
found Anne sitting in a little nook among the arbor vitae, where there
was an opening, like a green window, overlooking the harbor. He sat down
by her side, and fanned himself with his hat for a few moments, and then
he went down to find Pere Michaux and bring him up thither. But by that
time the priest had reached the house, and he returned, saying that he
saw by the foot-marks that the old man had for some reason gone down the
hill again, leaving them to watch their last sunset alone. He threw
himself down by Anne's side, and together they looked through their
green casement.

"The steamer has turned the point," said Anne.

They both watched it in silence. They heard the evening gun from the
fort.

"I shall never forgive myself, Rast, for having let you go before so
carelessly. When the gale began that night, every blast seemed to go
through my heart."

"I thought you did not appear to care much," said Rast, in an aggrieved
tone.

"Did you notice it, then? It was only because I have to repress myself
every moment, dear, lest I should give way entirely. You know I too must
go far away--far away from all I love. I feel it very deeply."

[Illustration: "YOU KNOW I TOO MUST GO FAR AWAY."]

She turned toward him as she spoke, with her eyes full of tears. Her hat
was off, and her face, softened by emotion, looked for the first time to
his eyes womanly. For generally that frank brow, direct gaze, and
impersonal expression gave her the air of a child. Rast had never
thought that Anne was b