use she
saw he wished to say something to her alone.

When they were beyond earshot of the open window, he said
anxiously: "Don't you think Mary looks very badly?"

"She looks fearfully tired," Katherine answered.

"Yes, that is it. And the tiredness comes from mental strain.
Poor Mary! It seems so hard for her to be happy, yet in all her
life she has never lacked anything she wanted save one, and even
that I am in hopes she will get yet, if only she has the patience
to wait for it."

Katherine's heart gave a painful bound. What was this one thing
that Mary Selincourt wanted but could not have--yet? But she could
not answer the question with any satisfaction to herself, and she
stood silently watching while Mr. Selincourt took his place in the
boat. Then she turned and went back up the path again: but her
feet dragged in spite of herself; it was as if some instinct told
her she was going to meet a heartache.

Mary welcomed her back with a smile, and, reaching out her arm,
dragged a comfortable chair nearer the couch. "Come and sit here,
you poor, tired Katherine. What a shame that you should have had
to toil all day, until your very feet ache with tiredness, while I
have lain here and sighed because the hours crept along so slowly!"

"But that is only because you could not use your foot; you don't
find time drag when you are able to get about," Katherine remarked,
setting her head back against the cushions with a sigh of content,
for the chair was of a restful pattern, and she was tired enough to
feel the cushions a welcome luxury.

"No, indeed, I can always make sure of interest and amusement when
I have two feet available for service, but I was not cut out for
the peaceful avocation of the couch invalid, and I just loathe
inaction. I would rather have had your day," Mary said with a sigh.

"Are you sure? To begin with, you don't know what sort of a day I
have had, and to continue, you have never had to work for your
living, and don't know how it feels," Katherine rejoined, thinking
of the stuffy heat of the store, the flies, the pickled pork, and
the molasses, which had all tried her patience so sorely in the
latter part of the day.

Mary's face took on an injured expression. "Do you think it is
quite kind of you to taunt me with never having tasted the sweets
of independence?" she asked.

"But you are independent of the necessity to toil," said Katherine.

"That is not true independence. Ric