He could hardly count upon McKinstry, with his heavy, blind devotion to Cressy, being as indifferent.

On the contrary, he had acquired the impression, without caring to examine it closely, that her father would not be displeased at his marrying Cressy, for it would really amount to that.

But here again he was forced to contemplate what he had always avoided, the possible meaning and result of their intimacy.

In the reckless, thoughtless, extravagant--yet thus far innocent--indulgence of their mutual passion, he had never spoken of marriage, nor--and it struck him now with the same incongruous mingling of relief and uneasiness--had SHE! Perhaps this might have arisen from some superstitious or sensitive recollection on her part of her previous engagement to Seth, but he remembered now that they had not even exchanged the usual vows of eternal constancy.

It may seem strange that, in the half-dozen stolen and rapturous interviews which had taken place between these young lovers, there had been no suggestion of the future, nor any of those glowing projects for a united destiny peculiar to their years and inexperience.