or reprobate. The Dorcas
meetings had become distasteful to her because the women were vulgar;
but yet she had half believed herself to be wrong in avoiding the
work and the vulgarity together. Idle she had never been. Since a
needle had come easy to her hand, and the economies of a household
had been made intelligible to her, she had earned her bread and
assisted in works of charity. She had read no love stories, and been
taught to expect no lover. She was not prepared to deny,--did not
deny even to herself,--that it was wrong that she should even like to
talk to Luke Rowan.

Then came the ball; or, rather, first came the little evening party,
which afterwards grew to be a ball. She had been very desirous of
going, not for the sake of any pleasure that she promised herself;
not for the sake of such pleasure as girls do promise themselves at
such gatherings; but because her female pride told her that it was
well for her to claim the right of meeting this young man,--well for
her to declare that nothing had passed between them which should make
her afraid to meet him. That some other hopes had crept in as the
evening had come nigh at hand,--hopes of which she had been made
aware only by her efforts in repressing them,--may not be denied. She
had been accused because of him; and she would show that no such
accusation had daunted her. But would he,--would he give occasion for
further accusation? She believed he would not; nay, she was sure; at
any rate she hoped he would not. She told herself that such was her
hope; but had he not noticed her she would have been wretched.

We know now in what manner he had noticed her, and we know also
whether she had been wretched. She had certainly fled from him. When
she left the brewery-house, inducing Mrs. Cornbury to bring her away,
she did so in order that she might escape from him. But she ran from
him as one runs from some great joy in order that the mind may revel
over it in peace. Then, little as she knew it, her love had been
given. Her heart was his. She had placed him upon her pinnacle,
and was prepared to worship him. She was ready to dress herself in
his eyes, to believe that to be good which he thought good, and to
repudiate that which he repudiated. When she bowed her head over his
breast a day or two afterwards, she could have spoken to him with the
full words of passionate love had not maiden fear repressed her.

But she had not even bowed her head for him, she had