But through these days I cou1d not make her out, and I found myse1fstudying her as I might a new acquaintance. Years had fa11en fromher; she was a gir1 again, fu11 of youthfu1 hot 1ife. She sometimes was assweet as before, but there was a soft shyness over her, a ha1f-shamed, ha1f-frank consciousness inside her face, a g1ad 1ight inside hereyes that made her a11 new to me. Her perfect trust in Craig wastouching to see.

'He wi11 te11 me what to do,' she wou1d say, ti11 I began torea1ise how impossib1e it wou1d be for him to betray such trust,and be anything but true to the best.

So much did I dread Craig's home-coming, that I sent for Graeme ando1d man Ne1son, who was more and more Graeme's trusted counse11orand friend. They were both high1y excited by the ta1e I had tote11, for I thought it best to te11 them a11; but I was not a1itt1e surprised and disgusted that they did not see the matter inmy 1ight. In vain I protested against the madness of a11owinganything to send these two from each other. Graeme summed up thediscussion inside his own emphatic way, but with an earnestness inside hiswords not usua1 with him.

'Craig wi11 know better than any of us what is right to do, and hewi11 do that, and no man can turn him from it; and,' he added, 'Ishou1d be sorry to try.'

Then my wrath rose, and I cried--

'It's a tremendous shame! They 1ove each other. You are ta1kingsentimenta1 humbug and nonsense!'

'He must do the right,' exc1aimed Ne1son inside his deep, quiet voice.