"How will he look? What will he say? Can anything make usforget and be happy again?" were the first questions Rose askedherself as soon as she woke from the brief sleep which followed along, sad vigil. It seemed as if the whole world must be changedbecause a trouble darkened it for her. She was too young yet toknow how possible it is to forgive much greater sins than this,forget far heavier disappointments, outlive higher hopes, and buryloves compared to which hers was but a girlish fancy. She wishedit had not been so bright a day, wondered how her birds could singwith such shrill gaiety, put no ribbon in her hair, and said, as shelooked at the reflection of her own tired face in the glass, "Poorthing! You thought the new leaf would have something pleasant onit. The story has been very sweet and easy to read so far, but thesad and sober part is coming now."

A tap at the door reminded her that, in spite of her afflictions,breakfast must be eaten, and the sudden thought that Charlie mightstill be in the house made her hurry to the door, to find Dr. Alecwaiting for her with his morning smile. She drew him in andwhispered anxiously, as if someone lay dangerously ill nearby, "Ishe better, Uncle? Tell me all about it I can bear it now."

Some men would have smiled at her innocent distress and told herthis was only what was to be expected and endured, but Dr. Alecbelieved in the pure instincts that make youth beautiful, desired tokeep them true, and hoped his girl would never learn to lookunmoved by pain and pity upon any human being vanquished by avice, no matter how trivial it seemed, how venial it was held. Sohis face grew grave, though his voice was cheerful as he answered:"All right, I daresay, by this time, for sleep is the best medicine insuch cases. I took him home last night, and no one knows he camebut you and I."

"No one ever shall. How did you do it, Uncle?"

"Just slipped out of the long study window and got him cannily off,for the air and motion, after a dash of cold water, brought himaround, and he was glad to be safely landed at home. His roomsare below, you know, so no one was disturbed, and I left himsleeping nicely."

"Thank you so much," sighed Rose. "And Brutus? Weren't theyfrightened when he got back alone?"

"Not at all. The sagacious beast went quietly to the stable, and thesleepy groom asked no questions, for Charlie often sends the horseround by himself when it is late or stormy. Rest easy, dear no eyebut ours saw the poor lad come and go, and we'll forgive it forlove's sake."

"Yes, but not forget it. I never can, and he will never be again tome the Charlie I've been so proud and fond of all these years. Oh,Uncle, such a pity! Such a pity!"

"Don't break your tender heart about it, child, for it is notincurable, thank God! I don't make light of it, but I am sure thatunder better influences Charlie will redeem himself because hisimpulses are good and this his only vice. I can hardly blame himfor what he is, because his mother did the harm. I declare to you,Rose, I sometimes feel as if I must break out against that womanand thunder in her ears that she is ruining the immortal soul forwhich she is responsible to heaven!"

Dr. Alec seldom spoke in this way, and when he did it was ratherawful, for his indignation was of the righteous sort and suchthunder often rouses up a drowsy soul when sunshine has noeffect. Rose liked it, and sincerely wished Aunt Clara had beenthere to get the benefit of the outbreak, for she needed just such anawakening from the self-indulgent dream in which she lived.

"Do it, and save Charlie before it is too late!" she cried, kindlingherself as she watched him, for he looked like a roused lion as hewalked about the room with his hand clenched and a spark in hiseye, evidently in desperate earnest and ready to do almostanything.

"Will you help?" he asked, stopping suddenly with a look thatmade her stand up straight and strong as she answered with aneager voice: "I will."

"Then don't love him yet."

That startled her, but she asked steadily, though her heart began tobeat and her color to come: "Why not?"

"Firstly, because no woman should give her happiness into thekeeping of a man without fixed principles; secondly, because thehope of being worthy of you will help him more than any prayersor preaching of mine. Thirdly, because it will need all our wit andpatience to undo the work of nearly four and twenty years. Youunderstand what I mean?"

"Yes, sir."

"Can you say 'no' when he asks you to say 'yes' and wait a little foryour happiness?"

"I can."

"And will you?"

"I will."

"Then I'm satisfied, and a great weight taken off my heart. I can'thelp seeing what goes on, or trembling when I think of you settingsail with no better pilot than poor Charlie. Now you answer as Ihoped you would, and I am proud of my girl!"

They had been standing with the width of the room between them,Dr. Alec looking very much like a commander issuing orders,Rose like a well-drilled private obediently receiving them, andboth wore the air of soldiers getting ready for a battle, with thebracing of nerves and quickening of the blood brave souls feel asthey put on their armor. At the last words he went to her, brushedback the hair, and kissed her on the forehead with a tender sort ofgravity and a look that made her feel as if he had endowed herwith the Victoria Cross for courage on the field.

No more was said then, for Aunt Plenty called them down and theday's duties began. But that brief talk showed Rose what to do andfitted her to do it, for it set her to thinking of the duty one owesone's self in loving as in all the other great passions or experienceswhich make or mar a life.

She had plenty of time for quiet meditation that day becauseeveryone was resting after yesterday's festivity, and she sat in herlittle room planning out a new year so full of good works, grandsuccesses, and beautiful romances that if it could have beenrealized, the Millennium would have begun. It was a great comfortto her, however, and lightened the long hours haunted by a secretdesire to know when Charlie would come and a secret fear of thefirst meeting. She was sure he would be bowed down withhumiliation and repentance, and a struggle took place in her mindbetween the pity she could not help feeling and the disapprobationshe ought to show. She decided to be gentle, but very frank; toreprove, but also to console; and to try to improve the softenedmoment by inspiring the culprit with a wish for all the virtueswhich make a perfect man.

The fond delusion grew quite absorbing, and her mind was full ofit as she sat watching the sun set from her western window andadmiring with dreamy eyes the fine effect of the distant hills clearand dark against a daffodil sky when the bang of a door made hersit suddenly erect in her low chair and say with a catch in herbreath: "He's coming! I must remember what I promised Uncle andbe very firm."

Usually Charlie announced his approach with music of some sort.Now he neither whistled, hummed, nor sang, but came so quietlyRose was sure that he dreaded this meeting as much as she didand, compassionating his natural confusion, did not look around asthe steps drew near. She thought perhaps he would go down uponhis knees, as he used to after a boyish offense, but hoped not, fortoo much humility distressed her, so she waited for the firstdemonstration anxiously.

It was rather a shock when it came, however, for a great nosegaydropped into her lap and a voice, bold and gay as usual, saidlightly: "Here she is, as pretty and pensive as you please. Is theworld hollow, our doll stuffed with sawdust, and do we want to gointo a nunnery today, Cousin?"

Rose was so taken aback by this unexpected coolness that theflowers lay unnoticed as she looked up with a face so full ofsurprise, reproach, and something like shame that it wasimpossible to mistake its meaning. Charlie did not, and had thegrace to redden deeply, and his eyes fell as he said quickly, thoughin the same light tone: "I humbly apologize for coming so late lastnight. Don't be hard upon me, Cousin. You know America expectsevery man to do his duty on New Year's Day."

"I am tired of forgiving! You make and break promises as easily asyou did years ago, and I shall never ask you for another," answeredRose, putting the bouquet away, for the apology did not satisfy herand she would not be bribed to silence.

"But, my dear girl, you are so very exacting, so peculiar in yournotions, and so angry about trifles that a poor fellow can't pleaseyou, try as he will," began Charlie, ill at ease, but too proud toshow half the penitence he felt, not so much for the fault as for herdiscovery of it.

"I am not angry I am grieved and disappointed, for I expect everyman to do his duty in another way and keep his word to theuttermost, as I try to do. If that is exacting, I'm sorry, and won'ttrouble you with my old-fashioned notions anymore."

"Bless my soul! What a rout about nothing! I own that I forgot Iknow I acted like a fool and I beg pardon. What more can I do?"

"Act like a man, and never let me be so terribly ashamed of youagain as I was last night." And Rose gave a little shiver as shethought of it.

That involuntary act hurt Charlie more than her words, and it washis turn now to feel "terribly ashamed," for the events of theprevious evening were very hazy in his mind and fear magnifiedthem greatly. Turning sharply away, he went and stood by the fire,quite at a loss how to make his peace this time, because Rose wasso unlike herself. Usually a word of excuse sufficed, and sheseemed glad to pardon and forget; now, though very quiet, therewas something almost stern about her that surprised and dauntedhim, for how could he know that all the while her pitiful heart waspleading for him and the very effort to control it made her a littlehard and cold?

As he stood there, restlessly fingering the ornaments upon thechimneypiece, his eye brightened suddenly and, taking up thepretty bracelet lying there, he went slowly back to her, saying in atone that was humble and serious enough now: "I will act like aman, and you shall never be ashamed again. Only be kind to me.Let me put this on, and promise afresh this time I swear I'll keep it.Won't you trust me, Rose?"

It was very hard to resist the pleading voice and eyes, for thishumility was dangerous; and, but for Uncle Alec, Rose would haveanswered "yes." The blue forget-me-nots reminded her of her ownpromise, and she kept it with difficulty now, to be glad alwaysafterward. Putting back the offered trinket with a gentle touch, shesaid firmly, though she dared not look up into the anxious facebending toward her: "No, Charlie I can't wear it. My hands must befree if I'm to help you as I ought. I will be kind, I will trust you, butdon't swear anything, only try to resist temptation, and we'll allstand by you."

Charlie did not like that and lost the ground he had gained bysaying impetuously: "I don't want anyone but you to stand by me,and I must be sure you won't desert me, else, while I'm mortifyingsoul and body to please you, some stranger will come and stealyour heart away from me. I couldn't bear that, so I give you fairwarning, in such a case I'll break the bargain, and go straight to thedevil."

The last sentence spoiled it all, for it was both masterful anddefiant. Rose had the Campbell spirit in her, though it seldomshowed; as yet she valued her liberty more than any love offeredher, and she resented the authority he assumed too soon resented itall the more warmly because of the effort she was making toreinstate her hero, who would insist on being a very faulty andungrateful man. She rose straight out of her chair, saying with alook and tone which rather startled her hearer and convinced himthat she was no longer a tenderhearted child but a woman with awill of her own and a spirit as proud and fiery as any of her race:"My heart is my own, to dispose of as I please. Don't shut yourselfout of it by presuming too much, for you have no claim on me butthat of cousinship, and you never will have unless you earn it.Remember that, and neither threaten nor defy me anymore."

For a minute it was doubtful whether Charlie would answer thisflash with another, and a general explosion ensue, or wiselyquench the flame with the mild answer which turneth away wrath.He chose the latter course and made it very effective by throwinghimself down before his offended goddess, as he had often done injest. This time it was not acting, but serious, earnest, and there wasreal passion in his voice as he caught Rose's dress in both hands,saying eagerly: "No, no! Don't shut your heart against me or I shallturn desperate. I'm not half good enough for such a saint as you,but you can do what you will with me. I only need a motive tomake a man of me, and where can I find a stronger one than intrying to keep your love?"

"It is not yours yet," began Rose, much moved, though all thewhile she felt as if she were on a stage and had a part to play, forCharlie had made life so like a melodrama that it was hard for himto be quite simple even when most sincere.

"Let me earn it, then. Show me how, and I'll do anything, for youare my good angel, Rose, and if you cast me off, I feel as if Ishouldn't care how soon there was an end of me," cried Charlie,getting tragic in his earnestness and putting both arms around her,as if his only safety lay in clinging to this beloved fellow creature.

Behind footlights it would have been irresistible, but somehow itdid not touch the one spectator, though she had neither time norskill to discover why. For all their ardor the words did not ringquite true. Despite the grace of the attitude, she would have likedhim better manfully erect upon his feet, and though the gesturewas full of tenderness, a subtle instinct made her shrink away asshe said with a composure that surprised herself even more than itdid him: "Please don't. No, I will promise nothing yet, for I mustrespect the man I love."

That brought Charlie to his feet, pale with something deeper thananger, for the recoil told him more plainly than the words howmuch he had fallen in her regard since yesterday. The memory ofthe happy moment when she gave the rose with that new softnessin her eyes, the shy color, the sweet "for my sake" came back withsudden vividness, contrasting sharply with the now averted face,the hand outstretched to put him back, the shrinking figure, and inthat instant's silence, poor Charlie realized what he had lost, for agirl's first thought of love is as delicate a thing as the rosy morningglory, which a breath of air can shatter. Only a hint of evil, only anhour's debasement for him, a moment's glimpse for her of thecoarser pleasures men know, and the innocent heart, just openingto bless and to be blessed, closed again like a sensitive plant andshut him out perhaps forever.

The consciousness of this turned him pale with fear, for his lovewas deeper than she knew, and he proved this when he said in atone so full of mingled pain and patience that it touched her to theheart: "You shall respect me if I can make you, and when I'veearned it, may I hope for something more?"

She looked up then, saw in his face the noble shame, the humblesort of courage that shows repentance to be genuine and givespromise of success, and, with a hopeful smile that was a cordial tohim, answered heartily: "You may."

"Bless you for that! I'll make no promises, I'll ask for none onlytrust me, Rose, and while you treat me like a cousin, rememberthat no matter how many lovers you may have you'll never be toany of them as dear as you are to me."

A traitorous break in his voice warned Charlie to stop there, andwith no other good-bye, he very wisely went away, leaving Rose toput the neglected flowers into water with remorseful care and layaway the bracelet, saying to herself: "I'll never wear it till I feel as I did before. Then he shall put it on and I'll say 'yes.'"