“Igrievetosayyouaredeeplymistaken——itismyveryown，“hereturnedwithgreatgravity。Nevertheless，hedrewthecoverletcloseoverhisshoulder。Butherehewasagainattractedbyanotherfaceatthehalf-openeddoor——afreckledone，belongingtoaboyapparentlyayearortwoolderthanthegirl。Hewasviolentlytelegraphingtohertocomeaway，althoughitwasevidentthathewasatthesametimedeeplyinterestedintheguest’stoiletarticles。YetashisbrightgrayeyesandMr。Hamlin’sbrownonesmet，hesuccumbed，asthegirlhad，andwalkeddirectlytothebedside。Buthediditbashfully——asthegirlhadnot。Heevenattemptedadefensiveexplanation。
　　“Shehadn’toughtercomeinhere，andmarwouldn’tlether，andsheknowsit，“hesaidwithsuperiorvirtue。
　　“ButIaskedhertocomeasI’maskingyou，“saidMr。Hamlinpromptly，“anddon’tyougobackonyoursisteroryou’llneverbepresidentoftheUnitedStates。“Withthishelaidhishandontheboy’stowhead，andthen，liftinghimselfonhispillowtoahalf-
　　sittingposture，putanarmaroundeachofthechildren，drawingthemtogether，withthedolloccupyingthecentralpostofhonor。
　　“Now，“continuedMr。Hamlin，albeitinavoicealittlefaintfromtheexertion，“nowthatwe’recomfortabletogetherI’lltellyouthestoryofthegoodlittleboywhobecameapirateinordertosavehisgrandmotherandlittlesisterfrombeingeatenbyawolfatthedoor。“
　　But，alas！thatinterestingrecordofself-sacrificeneverwastold。ForitchancedthatMelindaBird，Mrs。Rivers’shelp，followingthetrailofthemissingchildren，cameupontheopendoorandglancedin。There，toherastonishment，shesawthedomesticgroupalreadydescribed，andtohereyesdominatedbythe“mostbeautifulandperfectlyelegant“youngmanshehadeverseen。
　　Butletnottheincautiousreadersupposethatshesuccumbedasweaklyasherartlesschargestothesefascinations。Thecharacterandantecedentsofthatyoungmanhadbeenalreadydeliveredtoherinthekitchenbytheotherhelp。Withthatsingleglanceshehalted；hereyessoughttheceilinginchasteexaltation。Fallingbackastep，shecalledinladylikehauteurandprecision，“MaryEmmelineandJohnWesley。“
　　Mr。Hamlinglancedatthechildren。“It’sMelindylookingforus，“
　　saidJohnWesley。Buttheydidnotmove。AtwhichMr。Hamlincalledoutfaintlybutcheerfully，“They’rehere，allright。“
　　Againthevoicearosewithstillmoremarkedandloftydistinctness，“JohnWesleyandMaryEm-me-line。“ItseemedtoMr。
　　Hamlinthathumanaccentscouldnotconveyamoresignificantandelevatedignoringofsomeimpliedimproprietyinhisinvitation。
　　Hewasforamomentcrushed。
　　Butheonlysaidtohislittlefriendswithasmile，“You’dbettergonowandwe’llhavethatstorylater。“
　　“Afferbeckus？“suggestedMaryEmmeline。
　　“Inthewoods，“addedJohnWesley。
　　Mr。Hamlinnoddedblandly。Thechildrentrottedtothedoor。ItcloseduponthemandMissBird’spartingadmonition，loudenoughforMr。Hamlintohear，“Nomorefreedoms，nomoreintrudings，youhear。“
　　Theolderculprit，Hamlin，retreatedluxuriouslyunderhisblankets，butpresentlyanothernewsensationcameoverhim——
　　absolutely，hunger。Perhapsitwasthechild’sallusionto“beckus，“buthefoundhimselfwonderingwhenitwouldbeready。
　　Thisanxietywassoonrelievedbytheappearanceofhishosthimselfbearingatray，possiblyindeferencetoMissBird’ssenseofpropriety。ItappearedalsothatDr。Duchesnehadpreviouslygivensuitabledirectionsforhisdiet，andMr。Hamlinfoundhisrepastsimplebutenjoyable。Alwaysplayfullyorironicallypolitetostrangers，hethankedhishostandsaidhehadsleptsplendidly。
　　“It’sthisyer’ozone’intheairthatDr。Duchesnetalksabout，“
　　saidSethcomplacently。
　　“Iaminclinedtothinkitisalsothosetexts，“saidMr。Hamlingravely，asheindicatedthemonthewall。“Youseetheyremindedmeofchurchandmyboyhood’sslumbersthere。Ihaveneversleptsopeacefullysince。“Seth’sfacebrightenedsointerestedlyatwhathebelievedtobeasuggestionofhisguest’sconversionthatMr。Hamlinwasfaintochangethesubject。Whenhishosthadwithdrawnheproceededtodresshimself，butherebecameconsciousofhisweaknessandwasobligedtositdown。Inoneofthoseenforcedrestshechancedtobenearthewindow，andforthefirsttimelookedontheenvironsofhisplaceofexile。Foramomenthewasstaggered。Everythingseemedtopitchdownwardfromtherockyoutcroponwhichtheramblinghouseandfarmshedsstood。Eventhegreatpinesarounditsweptdownwardlikeagreenwave，toriseagaininenormousbillowsasfarastheeyecouldreach。Hecouldcountadozenoftheirtumbledcrestsfollowingeachotherontheirwaytothedistantplain。Insomevaguepointofthatshimmeringhorizonofheatanddustwasthespothecamefromtheprecedingnight。Yettherecollectionofitandhisfeverishpastseemedtoconfusehim，andheturnedhiseyesgladlyaway。
　　Pale，alittletremulous，butimmaculateandjauntyinhiswhiteflannelsandstrawhat，heatlastmadehiswaydownstairs。Tohisgreatreliefhefoundthesittingroomempty，ashewouldhavewillinglydeferredhisformalacknowledgmentstohishostesslater。
　　Asingleglanceattheinteriordeterminedhimnottolinger，andheslippedquietlyintotheopenairandsunshine。Thedaywaswarmandstill，asthewindonlycameupwiththegoingdownofthesun，andtheatmospherewasstillredolentwiththemorningspicingofpineandhayandastrongerbalmthatseemedtofillhisbreastwithsunshine。Hewalkedtowardthenearestshade——aclusterofyoungbuckeyes——andhavingwithacertaincivicfastidiousnessflickedthedustfromastumpwithhishandkerchiefhesatdown。
　　Itwasveryquietandcalm。Thelifeandanimationofearlymorninghadalreadyvanishedfromthehill，orseemedtobesuspendedwiththesuninthesky。Hecouldseetheranchmenandoxentoilingonthegreenterracedslopesbelow，butnosoundreachedhisears。Eventhehousehehadjustquittedseemedemptyoflifethroughoutitsramblinglength。Hisseclusionwascomplete。Couldhestanditforthreeweeks？Perhapsitneednotbeforsolong；hewasalreadystronger！HeforesawthattheasceticSethmightbecomewearisome。HehadanintuitionthatMrs。
　　Riverswouldbeequallyso；heshouldcertainlyquarrelwithMelinda，andthiswouldprobablydebarhimfromthecompanyofthechildren——hisonlyhope。
　　Buthisseclusionwasbynomeanssocompleteasheexpected。Hepresentlywasawareofacamp-meetinghymnhummedsomewhatostentatiouslybyadeepcontraltovoice，whichheatoncerecognizedasMelinda’s，andsawthatseverevirginproceedingfromthekitchenalongtheridgeuntilwithinafewpacesofthebuckeyes，whenshestoppedand，withherhandshadinghereyes，apparentlybegantoexaminethedistantfields。Shewasatall，robustgirl，notwithoutcertainrusticattractions，ofwhichsheseemedfullyconscious。ThislatterweaknessgaveMr。Hamlinanewidea。Heputupthepenknifewithwhichhehadbeenparinghisnailswhilewonderingwhyhishandshadbecomesothin，andawaitedevents。Shepresentlyturned，approachedthebuckeyes，pluckedaspikeoftheblossomswithgreatgirlishlightness，andthenapparentlydiscoveringMr。Hamlin，startedindeepconcernandsaidwithsomewhatstentorianpoliteness:“IBEGyourpardon——didn’tknowIwasintruding！“
　　“Don’tmentionit，“returnedJackpromptly，butwithoutmoving。“I
　　sawyoucomingandwasprepared；butgenerally——asIhavesomethingthematterwithmyheart——asuddenjoylikethisisdangerous。“
　　Somewhatmystified，butstrugglingbetweenanexpressionofrigorousdecorumandgratifiedvanity，MissMelindastammered，“I
　　wasonly“——
　　“Iknewit——Isawwhatyouweredoing，“interruptedJackgravely，“onlyIwouldn’tdoitifIwereyou。Youwerelookingatoneofthoseyoungmendownthehill。Youforgotthatifyoucouldseehimhecouldseeyoulookingtoo，andthatwouldonlymakehimconceited。AndagirlwithYOURattractionsdon’trequirethat。“
　　“Ezif，“saidMelinda，withloftybutsomewhatreddeningscorn，“therewasamanonthishullranchothatI’dtakeasecondlookat。“
　　“It’sthefirstlookthatdoesthebusiness，“returnedJacksimply。
　　“ButmaybeIwaswrong。Wouldyoumind——asyou’regoingstraightbacktothehouse“MissMelindahadcertainlyexpressednosuchintention——“turningthosetwolittlekidslooseouthere？I’veasortofengagementwiththem。“
　　“Iwillspeaktotheirmar，“saidMelindaprimly，yetwithacertainsignofrelenting，assheturnedaway。
　　“YoucansaytoherthatIregrettednotfindingherinthesittingroomwhenIcamedown，“continuedJacktactfully。
　　Apparentlythetactwassuccessful，forhewasdelightedafewmomentslaterbythejoyousonsetofJohnWesleyandMaryEmmelineuponthebuckeyes，whichheatonceconvertedintoagameofhideandseek，permittinghimselfatlasttobeshamelesslycaughtintheopen。Butherehewiselyresolveduponguardingagainstfurthergrown-upinterruption，andconsultingwithhiscompanionsfoundthatononeofthelowerterracestherewasalargereservoirfedbyamountainrivulet，buttheywerenotallowedtoplaythere。
　　Thither，however，therecklessJackhiedwithhisplaymatesandwaspresentlyensconcedunderawillowtree，wherehedexterouslyfashionedtinywillowcanoeswithhispenknifeandsentthemsailingoverasubmergedexpanseofnearlyanacre。Buthalfanhourofthisingeniousamusementwasbroughttoanabrupttermination。Whilecuttingbark，withhisbackmomentarilyturnedonhiscompanions，heheardascream，andturnedquicklytoseeJohnWesleystrugglinginthewater，graspingatreeroot，andMaryEmmeline——nowhere！Inanotherminutehesawthestringsofherpinaforeappearonthesurfaceafewyardsbeyond，andinyetanotherminute，withaswiftruefulglanceathiswhiteflannels，hehadplungedafterher。Adisagreeableshockoffindinghimselfoutofhisdepthswas，however，followedbycontactwiththechild’sclothing，andclutchingherfirmly，astrokeortwobroughthimpantingtothebank。Hereagasp，agurgle，andthenaroarfromMaryEmmeline，followedbyasympathetichowlfromJohnWesley，satisfiedhimthatthedangerwasover。Rescuingtheboyfromthetreeroot，helaidthembothonthegrassandcontemplatedthemexercisingtheirlungswithmiserablesatisfaction。Butherehefoundhisownbreathingimpededinadditiontoaslightfaintness，andwassuddenlyobligedtositdownbesidethem，atwhich，bysomesympatheticintuition，theybothstoppedcrying。