Bob, who had been about to ask the same thing, turned away and stretched himself at Mildred Huger's feet. Susy softly touched her guitar, suggesting popular airs, and voices took up the tunes, now stopping to say something funny and to laugh while others carried on the song, now joining in an energetic chorus. On the outskirts of the circle farthest from the dying fire sat the couples in whom the soft night and the moonlight and the music were arousing sentiment. More than one young fellow watched Friedrich and Sydney as they disappeared behind the willows on the bank, and wished that he had been the first to suggest the bridge, and envied the two their vantage point. They stood side by side upon its hoof-worn planks. Under their feet swept the musical flow of the stream, molten silver in the moonlight as it slid towards them, a sparkling, dancing mist of tossing diamonds as it fled away over the stones of the rough bottom. They faced the wonderful glory of the moon. Her hand was on the bar at first, and his beside it. After a moment he glanced at the tempting nearness, and put his in the pocket of his jacket. Then he turned his back upon the moon, and leaned on the railing by her, facing the lesser splendor that was to him as dazzling. "Will you for-rgive me if I spoil the beauty of this per-rfect night by speaking to you a little about--myself?" His voice was serious. Sydney looked at him and turned away her head. Her lips trembled. "I have not the r-right to force upon you a subject so unwor-rthy. But I think it is just that you should know--that all my friends should know--what work I am going to tr-ry now to do to retr-rieve myself. Ah, you make the little gesture that means 'Say not that word.' But you will let me say just this one time ever-ything I want to, if you please. When I say 'retr-rieve myself,' I understand well that nothing can destr-roy the fact that my name is wr-ritten on those books over there,"--he waved his hand in the direction of Asheville,--"and I know well that for my fault all my life I shall suffer in one way or another. But I can tr-ruly say, in God's sight,"--he stood bareheaded, and faced again the heaven's pomp,--"that I have r-repented my weakness most bitterly, both for what it did lead me to, and because such weakness in itself is shameful." Sydney lifted to his her eyes blurred with tears. "Don't," she whispered, hoarsely. "_Ach_, Heaven help me, look not at me like that," he cried; "I cannot bear ever-ything!" Silence lay between them after this cry of pain. Friedrich began again, very low.