She drew away from him, but she did not try to enter again; they waited in silence. Then came a sound. Eve ran within, the two men behind her. Little Jack, on the bed, was sleeping peacefully. Cicely had fallen from her seat to the matting that covered the floor. Eve lifted her; kneeling on the matting, she held her in her arms. XVIII. The letter, though it was only a partial revelation, roused in Ferdie's wife a passion of anger so intense that they were all alarmed. She did not speak or stir; she sat looking at them; but her very immobility, with the deep spot of red in each cheek, and her darkened narrowed eyes, made her terrible. This state lasted for twenty-four hours, during which time the poor old judge, unable to sit down or to sleep, wandered about, Hollis accompanying him silently, and waiting outside when he went every now and then to the entrance of the tent to look in. Paul came once. But Cicely's eyes darkened so when she saw him that Eve hurriedly motioned him away. She followed him out. "Do not come again until I send for you." "If there is nothing for me to do then, I might as well go to bed." "You are fortunate in being able to sleep!" "I shall sleep a great deal better than I did when I thought she would be starting south in spite of us," retorted Paul. "Imagine her arriving there and finding out--It's much worse than she knows; that letter only tells a little. There are others, telling more, which I have kept back." "Did you really, then, keep back anything!" "She'll forgive me. She'll forgive me, and like me better than ever; you'll see." "And is it a question of you? It is her husband, her faith in him, her love for him," said Eve, passionately. "Oh, as to that, she will forgive _him_ the very first moment she sees him," answered Paul, going off. Early in the morning of the second day, Cicely sent for him. "If you don't still believe in him, if you don't still love him--" she began the instant he entered, her poor little voice trying to be a threat. "Of course I believe in him." "And he is noble? and good?" "If you can call him that--to-day--you are a trump," said Paul, delightedly. He had gained his point; and, by one of the miracles of love, she could forgive her husband and excuse his fault; she could still worship him, believe in him. Paul also believed in him, but in another way. And upon this ground they met, Paul full of admiration for what he called her pluck and common-sense (both were but love), and she adoring him for his unswerving affection for his brother. Paul would go South soon; he would--he would make arrangements. She pinned all her faith upon Paul now; Paul was her demi-god because he believed in his brother. And thus the camp-life went on again. One morning, not long after this, Hollis and the judge were sitting at the out-door table, engaged with their fishing-tackle. Hollis was talking of the approaches of old age.