and meditation which was rapidly stealing upon them. The very silence of
the cove was infectious. Marjorie felt it almost immediately, and
relaxed without a murmur.

A stream of thoughts began to course in continuous procession through
her mind, awakening there whatever latent images lay buried in her
memory, and fashioning new ideas and seemingly possible situations from
her experiences of the past year. Now she suddenly discovered her former
interest quickened to a violent degree. She was living over again the
memories of the happy hours of other days.

Certainly Stephen was as constant as ever. To her discerning eye his
manner of action conveyed no other impression. But he was the same
enigma, however, as far as the communication of thought was concerned,
and she knew no more of his pleasures and desires than she did of the
inspirations of his soul.

It was the first time in months she had seen and taken delight in his
own old self. Never had he been so attentive quite as John Anderson, nor
so profuse in his protestations, nor so ready with his apologies. And
what was more she did not expect him to be. But he was more sincere when
it came to a question of unfolding one's own convictions, more engaging
where will-power, propriety, performance of duty, were concerned. He
alone possessed the rule to which all, in her own mind, were obliged to
conform. And so she was compelled to admire him.

These fond memories suffered an interruption by a vision of the extreme
disquietude produced upon Stephen by her unfortunate acquaintanceship
with Mr. Anderson. And yet she had been profoundly sincere with herself.
Never had she conveyed the impression to any man that she had given him
a second sobering thought. Her home constituted for her a chief delight,
her home, her devoted mother, her fond father. Peggy had been her sole
companion previous to her marriage with the Governor; and whatever men
she had met with were they who composed the gay assemblies at which her
friend was the pretty hostess and she the invited guest. As far as
Anderson was concerned, and Stephen, for that matter, she doubted if
she had been in the company of either more than a dozen times in the
course of her life. Certainly not enough to know either of them
intimately.

Of the two men who had effected the most complete entree into her
society, Stephen had, unquestionably, impressed her the more favorably.
For a time he seemed too far removed from her; an