"Oh, please don’t do that!" cried Dawn anxiously. (Why was it he reminded her so much of Harrington Winthrop?) "I promised Daniel and the children. I wouldn’t disappoint them for anything. Thank you just the same." Some one else came up then, and Silas turned away, but Dawn watched him uneasily. From the look on his face, one would have thought she had accepted his attention with delight. He did not act like a man who had received a rebuff. Later, when Dan drove his horses with a flourish to the old horse-block in front of the house, Silas was waiting for him. "You needn’t wait for Miss Montgomery, Dan," said the selectman in a patronizing tone. "She’s going with me." "She’s not any such a thing," growled Dan. "She promised us she’d go in our team." "Yes, she was afraid you’d be disappointed, but I told her I’d make it right with you," said Silas, in a soothing tone. "Hurry, now, and load up and drive out of the way. Don’t you see the other folks are waiting? You wouldn’t stand in the way of a lady’s comfort, would you, especially when she doesn’t want to go with you?" Dan glared at his adversary in speechless wrath for an instant, while the girls and boys were climbing in, then gave a cut to his horses with the whip and drove the long sleigh with its merry load out into the white mist of the moonlit road and round a curve to the fence, where he flung the reins to another boy, telling him to wait and keep quiet. Then he stole back around the house and stood in the shadow of a great wood-pile, near enough to hear all that went on, but not to be seen. The guests merrily trooped forth in the path of candle-light that shone from the open house door, and Dawn’s musical laugh rang over them all; but when she came out to the horse-block and saw Silas standing alone beside his cutter, she drew back and looked around in dismay. "Why, where is Daniel?" she asked anxiously. "They told me he wanted me to come now." "Daniel has gone," said Silas pleasantly. "I explained to him how much more comfortable it would be for you in my sleigh, and, besides, he was crowded as it was. He hadn’t room enough for you. Just get right in, and I’ll show you what my mare can do in getting you over the snow." "Daniel is gone!" Dawn echoed in a troubled voice. "Oh, no, thank you"—drawing back timidly and looking toward the door. "I will see if Mrs. Butterworth is inside yet. I can go with her. I will not trouble you." But Silas was not to be thus set aside. "Don’t think of such a thing," he commanded. "Just get right in." He reached out to grasp her arm and detain her from her purpose, but just as he touched the sleeve of her coat his arm was grasped from behind, and a skilful thrust of Daniel Butterworth’s long arm sent him spinning backward into a big snowbank.