drawing his courage around him, he made to speak, but as he
did so the figure of Mivanway shrank from him, and only a sigh escaped
his lips, and hearing that the figure of Mivanway turned and again passed
down the path into the valley, leaving Charles gazing after it.

But the third night both arrived at the trysting spot with determination
screwed up to the sticking point.

Charles was the first to speak. As the figure of Mivanway came towards
him, with its eyes fixed sadly on him, he moved from the shadow of the
rocks, and stood before it.

"Mivanway!" he said.

"Charles!" replied the figure of Mivanway. Both spoke in an awed whisper
suitable to the circumstances, and each stood gazing sorrowfully upon the
other.

"Are you happy?" asked Mivanway.

The question strikes one as somewhat farcical, but it must be remembered
that Mivanway was the daughter of a Gospeller of the old school, and had
been brought up to beliefs that were not then out of date.

"As happy as I deserve to be," was the sad reply, and the answer--the
inference was not complimentary to Charles's deserts--struck a chill to
Mivanway's heart.

"How could I be happy having lost you?" went on the voice of Charles.

Now this speech fell very pleasantly upon Mivanway's ears. In the first
place it relieved her of her despair regarding Charles's future. No
doubt his present suffering was keen, but there was hope for him.
Secondly, it was a decidedly "pretty" speech for a ghost, and I am not at
all sure that Mivanway was the kind of woman to be averse to a little
mild flirtation with the spirit of Charles.

"Can you forgive me?" asked Mivanway.

"Forgive _you_!" replied Charles, in a tone of awed astonishment. "Can
you forgive me? I was a brute--a fool--I was not worthy to love you."

A most gentlemanly spirit it seemed to be. Mivanway forgot to be afraid
of it.

"We were both to blame," answered Mivanway. But this time there was less
submission in her tones. "But I was the most at fault. I was a petulant
child. I did not know how deeply I loved you."

"You loved me!" repeated the voice of Charles, and the voice lingered
over the words as though it found them sweet.

"Surely you never doubted it," answered the voice of Mivanway. "I never
ceased to love you. I shall love you always and ever."

The figure of Charles sprang forward as though it would clasp the ghost
of Mivanway in its arms, but halted a step or two off.

"Bless m