me: Have you kept our engagement a profound secret from every human
being, as I requested you to do?"

"Yes, yes, a profound secret from every human being, on my sacred word
and honor! Although it was hard to do that. For, as I walked up and down
the streets of Wendover, feeling so happy--so happy that I am sure I
must have looked perfectly wild, as the people stared at me so
suspiciously--I could scarcely help embracing all my friends and saying
to them, 'Congratulate me, for I am engaged to the loveliest woman in
the world, and I am the happiest man on earth!' But I kept the secret."

"You mad boy! You love too fast to love long, I doubt! After a month or
two of married life you will grow tired of me, I fear," said Mary Grey,
with mock gravity.

"Tired of you! Tired of heaven! Oh, no, no, no!" he burst forth,
ardently.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE HAUNTED COTTAGE.

She suddenly brought him down to the earth with a homely remark.

"I am tired of walking. And here is a vacant house placarded 'To Let,'
with a nice long porch in front. Come, let [us] go in and sit down on
one of the benches and rest."

And she drew him toward the little gate that led into the yard in front
of the house.

It was a rustic two-story frame cottage, with a long porch in front, all
overgrown with honeysuckles, clematis, woodbine and wild roses.

They went in together and sat down on the porch, under the shadow of the
blooming and fragrant vines.

Then she turned and looked at him attentively for the first time since
they met at the church.

"You look tired," she said, with alluring tenderness. "You look more
exhausted than I feel. And that is saying a great deal, for I am quite
out of breath."

"I am grieved that you feel so, dearest! It was selfish and thoughtless
in me to keep you walking so long," said Craven, compunctiously.

"Oh, it is nothing! But about yourself. You really look quite
prostrated."

"Do I, dearest? I am not conscious of fatigue. Though indeed I should
never be conscious of that by your dear side."

"Now tell the truth," she said, again bringing him down from his
flights. "Have you had your breakfast this morning?"

"Breakfast? I--don't remember," he said, with a perplexed air.

"Come to your senses and answer me directly. What have you taken this
morning?" she demanded, with a pretty air of authority.

"I--Let me see. I believe I bought a package of lemon-drops from a boy
that was selling them in