r at us,--looking, too, as I had never seen
him. All at once it flashed upon me that I could make him suffer as he
had made me. From that moment an evil spirit possessed me. I felt my
cheeks flush; my heart beat fast; I was full of wild gayety. I sang
songs when they asked me. Elihu asked me to dance, and I danced,--I, who
had never taken a step before in my life. I felt as light as air; I
seemed to float through the figure.

"Ephraim never came near me the whole evening, but Elihu kept close to
me, and we had a great deal of talk that I am glad to have forgotten.
But I remember that he laughed at Semantha Lee, and made fun of her hair
that he said was like tow, and her eyes that squinted, and her mincing
gait; and I listened, and felt a malicious pleasure in this dispraise of
Semantha. Through it all my head ached terribly, and I stupidly wondered
how I dared be such a wicked girl, and what my mother would say if she
knew it.

"By and by it was ten o'clock, and then Semantha suddenly discovered
that she must go home. Mrs. Allen tried to persuade her to stay. But no!
It was going to snow, she said, and she would not stay. Then Prudence
said, if she _must_ go, Ephraim would take her home in the sleigh,
which, of course, was just what Semantha wanted.

"I don't know what made me do it, but upon this I rose and went over to
where they were standing, and said that Elihu Parsons was going directly
past Deacon Lee's, and would be happy to take Semantha, and that I would
rather Ephraim should not go.

"Prudence lifted up both hands, as if she was too horrified to speak,
and looked at Semantha. Semantha giggled. She was one of those girls who
are always laughing foolishly.

"As for Ephraim, his face was dark, and his voice was cold and hard, as
he said, 'From what we have seen tonight, Mercy, I don't think it can
make much difference to you what I do'; and then, without another word,
went out.

"Presently I heard the sleigh-bells, and in a moment Ephraim came in at
the front door. I hurried out to him. I would make one more effort, I
thought.

"He stopped on seeing me.

"'Are you going to leave me for Semantha? You are very unkind to me!' I
said passionately.

"'You are foolish, Mercy. Semantha is our guest, and I have shown her no
more attention than she has a right to.'

"'Can't you see, Ephraim?' I cried. 'Don't you know that she came here
on purpose to make trouble between you and me, and that Prudence is
help