There was a brief silence, broken by Archer. He spoke slowly, as if not quite sure of his ground: "It was in the air before Jean went away, I think. It strikes me that she was fully under its influence herself." Eleanor shot a glance at her companion: "Jean was not well, you know." "And there was a cause. Come, Eleanor, let us be frank. You may trust my affection for Jean to keep me from prying into her affairs, but some things this summer were quite too patent to be disregarded." "I don't know what you mean," Eleanor interposed hurriedly. "Oh, yes, you do. It is natural for you to shield Jean, because from your point of view, she has been badly treated. Well, I don't agree with you in that. If ever a man was honestly in love, that man was Valentine Farr. I don't pretend to know what the trouble was between them, but I have a suspicion, on general principles, that jealousy was at the bottom of it. I don't believe that Jean's was well founded and I wish she had a friend who felt at liberty to tell her so. I have kept silent for a long time, too long perhaps; but now I have set the ball rolling, and shall await results." They were in the parsonage grounds now, and Eleanor paused and laid her hand lightly on Cliff's arm. "I would do anything in the world for Jean, as you know, Cliff, but I feel too much in the dark to take any step at present. You may be right; indeed, I think you are; but remember neither you nor I are quite sure of Jean's feeling on the subject, and it is a very delicate matter to meddle with." "I would risk it," smiled Cliff. After a moment he spoke again, in a tone of deeper earnestness: "A very grave trouble can arise from a slight misunderstanding, Eleanor. I wish, dear, that you and I could put that possibility out of reach. I have tried to be patient, but when I see so much sorrow brought about undoubtedly by a lack of frankness and confidence, I tremble for our future. If you do care for me, dear, why will you not tell me so? Surely you cannot doubt the sincerity of my love for you." Eleanor raised her eyes to her lover's face. "I think you know, Cliff----" she began, when Nan's voice broke in upon them. "Hello! Now what are you two doing, philandering in this secluded spot?" "Talking of subjects quite beyond your ken, my dear," drawled Cliff lazily. "You won't catch your train if you don't come down to mother earth," laughed Nan. Archer consulted his watch, and then bade the girls a hurried good-by and started off for the station. Nan linked her arm in Eleanor's and they proceeded leisurely to the parsonage, talking as they went. One sentence remained in Nan's mind, awakening there a long train of thought.