The outer door was ajar; he noiselessly crossed the room, and looking out, he saw her. She had been to the well for a pail of water, but had set it down and was watching the swiftly brightening east. She was so still and her face so white in the faint radiance that he had an odd, uncanny impression. No woman that he had ever known would stop that way to look at the dawn. He could see nothing so peculiar in it as to attract such fixed attention. "Alida," he asked, "what do you see?" She started slightly and turned to take up the pail; but he had already sprung down the steps and relieved her of the burden. "Could anything be more lovely than those changing tints? It seems to me I could have stood there an hour," she said quietly. "You are not walking or doing all this in your sleep, are you?" he asked, laughing, yet regarding her curiously. "You looked as you stood there like what people call a--what's that big word?" "I'm not a somnambulist and never was, to my knowledge. You'll find I'm wide enough awake to have a good breakfast soon." "But I didn't expect you to get up so early. I didn't wish it." "It's too late now," she said pleasantly, "so I hope you won't find fault with me for doing what I wanted to do." "Did you mean to be up and have breakfast when I told you last night?" "Yes. Of course I didn't let you know for you would have said I mustn't, and then I couldn't. It isn't good for people to get up so early and do as much as you had on your mind without eating. Now you won't be any the worse for it." "I certainly ought to be the better for so much kindly consideration; but it will cure me of such unearthly hours if you feel that you must conform to them. You look pale this morning, Alida; you're not strong enough to do such things, and there's no need of it when I'm so used to waiting on myself." "I shall have to remind you," she replied with a bright look at him over her shoulder, "that you said I could do things my own way." "Well, it seems odd after a year when everyone who came here appeared to grudge doing a thing for a man's comfort." "I should hope I was different from them." "Well, you are. I thought you were different from anyone I ever knew as I saw you there looking at the east. You seem wonderfully fond of pretty things." "I'll own to that. But if you don't hurry you won't do as much as you hoped by getting up early."