If people were to see us walking here, they would think it strange." And, as they reached the entrance of the lane, his manner suddenly became most ceremonious; and, extending his hand to assist her over a drift of snow, he said in tones unnecessarily loud and formal, "Good-morning, Mrs.Philbrick.I am glad to have helped you through these drifts.

Good-morning," and was gone.
Mercy stood still, and looked after him for a moment with a blank sense of bewilderment.

His sudden change of tone and manner smote her like a blow.
She comprehended in a flash the subterfuge in it, and her soul recoiled from it with incredulous pain.

"Why should he be afraid to have people see us together?
What does it mean?
What reason can he possibly have ?" Scores of questions like these crowded on her mind, and hurt her sorely.

Her conjecture even ran so wide as to suggest the possibility of his being engaged to another woman,--some old and mistaken promise by which he was hampered.