"Know!" she echoed. "Wa-al now, Louisianny, ef I didn't know yer raisin', an' thet ye'd been brought up with members all yer life, it'd go ag'in me powerful to hear ye talk thetaway. Ye _know_ they know, an' thet they'll take it hard, ef they aint changed mightily, but, changed or not, I guess thar's mighty few sperrits es haint sense enough to see yer a-grievin' more an' longer than's good fur ye." Louisiana turned to her window again. She rested her forehead against the frame-work and looked out for a little while. But at last she spoke. "Perhaps you are right," she said. "It is true it would have hurt them when they were here. I think--I'll try to--to be happier." "It's what'll please 'em best, if ye do, Louisianny," commented Mrs. Nance. "I'll try," Louisiana answered. "I will go out now--the cold air will do me good, and when I come back you will see that I am--better." "Wa-al," advised Mrs. Nance, "ef ye go, mind ye put on a plenty--an' don't stay long." The excellent woman stood on the porch when the buggy was brought up, and having tucked the girl's wraps round her, watched her driven away. "Mebbe me a-speakin's I did'll help her," she said. "Seems like it kinder teched her an' sot her thinkin'. She was dretfle fond of her pappy an' she was allers a purty peaceable advise-takin' little thing--though she aint so little nuther. She's reel tall an' slim." CHAPTER XVIII. "HE KNEW THAT I LOVED YOU." It was almost dark when the buggy returned. As Jake drove up to the gate he bent forward to look at something. "Thar's a critter hitched to the fence," he remarked. "'Taint no critter from round yere. I never seen it afore." Mrs. Nance came out upon the porch to meet them. She was gently excited by an announcement she had to make. "Louisianny," she said, "thar's a man in the settin'-room. He's a-waitin' to see ye. I asked him ef he hed anything to sell, an' he sed no he hedn't nothin'. He's purty _gen_-teel an' stylish, but not to say showy, an' he's polite sort o' manners." "Has he been waiting long?" Louisiana asked. "He's ben thar half a hour, an' I've hed the fire made up sence he come." Louisiana removed her hat and cloak and gave them to Mrs. Nance. She did it rather slowly, and having done it, crossed the hall to the sitting-room door, opened it and went in. There was no light in the room but the light of the wood fire, but that was very bright. It was so bright that she had not taken two steps into the room before she saw clearly the face of the man who waited for her. It was Laurence Ferrol. She stopped short and her hands fell at her sides. Her heart beat so fast that she could not speak. His heart beat fast, too, and it beat faster still when he noted her black dress and saw how pale and slight she looked in it. He advanced towards her and taking her hand in both his, led her to a chair.