Hal was much puzzled; but he would not give way. The idea of going off in Percy Harrigan’s train had come to seem morally repulsive to him; he hated Percy Harrigan’s train, and Percy Harrigan also, he declared. And Jessie saw that she was only making him unreasonable--that before long he might be hating her. With her instinctive _savoir faire_, she brought up his suggestion that she might find some one to chaperon her, and stay with him at North Valley until he was ready to come away. Hal’s heart leaped at that; he had no idea what was in her mind--the certainty that no one of the ladies of the Harrigan party would run the risk of offending her host by staying under such circumstances. “You mean it, sweetheart?” he cried, happily. She answered, “I mean that I love you, Hal.” “All right, dear!” he said. “We’ll see if we can arrange it.” But as they walked on, she managed, without his realising it, to cause him to reflect upon the effect of her staying. She was willing to do it, if it was what he wanted; but it would injure, perhaps irrevocably, his standing with her parents. They would telegraph her to come at once; and if she did not obey, they would come by the next train. So on, until at last Hal was moved to withdraw his own suggestion. After all, what was the use of her staying, if her mind was on the people at home, if she would simply keep him in hot water? Before the conversation was over Hal had become clear in his mind that North Valley was no place for Jessie Arthur, and that he had been a fool to think he could bring the two together. She tried to get him to promise to leave as soon as the last man had been brought out of the mine. He answered that he intended to leave then, unless some new emergency should arise. She tried to get an unqualified promise; and failing in that, when they had nearly got to the train she suddenly made a complete surrender. Let him do what he pleased--but let him remember that she loved him, that she needed him, that she could not do without him. No matter what he might do, no matter what people might say about him, she believed in him, she would stand by him. Hal was deeply touched, and took her in his arms again and kissed her tenderly under the umbrella, in the presence of the wondering stares of several urchins with coal-smutted faces. He pledged anew his love for her, assuring her that no amount of interest in mining-camps should ever steal him from her.