azed.

"Yes; I must e'en go now," I said. "It is like heaven to be near you,
better than any heaven preached about by parsons, but I must go. Can you
give me no word of encouragement before I leave?"

But she made no reply, and then my heart became heavy again, so I held
out my hand, trying to appear brave.

Without hesitation, she put her hand in mine, and I felt it tremble,
just as I have felt little chicks not a week old tremble when I have
caught them. I fancied that she was afraid of me, so I said, "Thank you
for speaking to me. This meeting will help me for many a long day, and I
am afraid I have a dreary future before me."

"I hope you will come to no harm," she said, "and I hope you will obtain
what is justly yours."

"Can you say nothing else?" I cried, "not just one word?"

But just then Tryphena came in from the dairy. "Ther's a noise in
Maaster Nick's bedroom," she cried. "Git out, Maaster Jasper. Miss
Naomi, we must go up by the back stairs. Maake 'aaste, Maaster Jasper!"
And then she blew out the light, leaving us in darkness.

And then I could contain my feelings no longer, and I caught Naomi's
fingers to my mouth, and kissed them. She drew her hand away, but not as
I thought then, angrily.

"You'll be careful to let no one hurt you, will you?" she said, and I
heard a tremor in her voice, and then, before I could answer, she had
gone.

And that was all we said to each other at Pennington, and although I
hungered to keep her near me longer, and although the night into which I
went was black and stormy, my heart thumped aloud for joy. Her words
rung in my ears as I found my way among the trees, and they were sweeter
to me than the singing of birds on a summer morning. The winds blew
wildly, while in the near distance I heard the roar of the waves. The
rain fell heavily, too, but I did not care. What heeded I wind and
weather! Neither did I fear danger. I knew that I could play with men
even as others play with children, for hope stirred in my heart, hope
made the black sky as beautiful as a rainbow.

There be many joys that come into a man's life, the joy of possession,
the joy of fame, the joy of victory in battle; but I know of no joy as
great as that which comes because of the hope that his love loves him,
unless it be that which never comes to us but once, the joy of the first
kiss of love. And this to me seems the will of God, and thus love should
always be regarded as sacred, and never be