The night before his manhood had been stung to life by Mary's cruelty; it was fanned into live flame now by the childish tenderness of this girl so near to womanhood that the coming charm and sweetness glorified her. Then she touched him and a wave of delicious pain coursed through his body. "How did--this happen?" A finger lightly passed over the bruise on his cheek. He could not answer. "I know! But they couldn't hurt the you of you, Sandy. I see the bigness shining through everything. Why do you keep your eyes shut?" Sandy opened his eyes desperately and saw only the child until eye met eye again, and then the vision of what Cynthia foretold shook him once more. "My head--spins," he said vaguely; "the day's heat made it ache." "You will take my money, Sandy?" "Yes." "And you will come back and--marry me?" "I'll come back and--and----" "Will you marry me, Sandy, like they do in books?" "If--if--that is the best way, yes." "Oh! it always is! It's a mighty fine way, because then no one can--make you do things. I shall make you do whatever I choose, Sandy--will you mind?" "No." "You know in my book, Sandy, there is a Madam Bubble and I'm making myself like her. You can make yourself into anything, I reckon, Sandy, if you just _will_, and dream about it. Listen to me!" Cynthia had Sandy by the shoulders now in frank, playful mood. "I am tall and comely--I looked up the word, and it says it means to be agreeable and good-looking. Well, I'm good-looking--or I'm going to be. Then the book says Madam Bubble speaks smoothly and smiles at the end of a sentence. I've tried and tried and now I can smile that way. Look, Sandy!" Again Sandy forced himself to fasten his eyes on the sweet, tender mouth. "I love to smile, Sandy." Suddenly the girl's gay tone changed; she came back to grim facts with a catch in her voice. "How I shall miss you, Sandy. The woods will be right empty--till you come again! I shall make believe find you on the hills even when I know you are not here, but always I will be able to see you in the Significant Room! I'm going to study and make myself fit for you--I shall be right busy. I am going to ask Aunt Ann to let me learn of the little doctor. I shall study the books you have and--it won't seem long, Sandy!" The brave attempt at cheer, the tender renunciation in the soft voice, wrung Sandy's heart. "I'm sorry I hated the little doctor for teaching you, Sandy. She helped you--to--to come back quicker, only I did not know then. She'll help me now, I reckon, to be ready for you. Sandy, I just couldn't see you go down The Way! You stand here like you were going to stay on forever and I'll run down the trail. I won't look back once, Sandy, but--kiss me good-bye."