But Donelle saw no reason for perplexity; she existed in so glorious a state that no disturbing thing ever entered. It was enough for her to waken in the morning and to know that her love was in Jo’s upper chamber, safe and near. It was joy for her to look at Jo herself and think that the world could no longer hurt her. How could it, with the big love holding them all? When Norval touched her, Donelle felt the thrill of trust and understanding. She never doubted now and often she would laugh as she remembered her vow by the cross and thought of St. Michael’s-on-the-Rocks. "Oh! but it is the magic that has caught me!" she whispered to herself, hugging her slim body and wishing, with happy tears, that all the world, her little world, could know. She wanted Jo to know, and Tom Gavot! She couldn’t bear to have Tom nursing a hate while he was away making his roads. She wanted everyone in Point of Pines to know, even old Pierre. She wished, almost pathetically, that Mrs. Lindsay and Professor Revelle could know. "For they made me just a little more like my dear love," She said to herself. "They brightened me and gave me the music. My dear loves me to be pretty and he loves my music." But it was not all so easy for Norval. There were times when, alone with Donelle in the wood-cabin, the crude side of love made its tremendous claim. How desirable Donelle was when, casting her violin aside, she flung herself in a chair by the hearth and said: "Come, put the paints away and wipe the brushes carefully. Come tell me a story and then, dear man, I’ll stir you some maple and put in a lot of nuts. Oh! but I will make it good." Norval, at such commands, felt his strength departing. "There’s one story I’d like to tell you, little woman," he once flung back to her desperately. "And that is what?" "A story of a man and woman." "Go on, go on," Donelle urged. "That will be the best of all." "You bet it will!" Then Norval tossed his brushes aside. "I’m coming over to take you in my arms and kiss you, sweet!" he warned, but did not move. "Well, why don’t you? And then we can tell Mamsey." Norval frowned. "Shall I come to you, dear man?" Oh! how she lured and tempted from her safe, innocent love. "I trust you now. I beg your pardon because I once did not. I will come half the way." "My sweet, when I take you in my arms to tell you the story I mean to tell you, I will come all the way! Now stir the syrup, you hard little bargainer. Throw in an extra handful of nuts for the crimes you commit but know not of." "And now you are laughing!" cried Donelle. "Far from it, I’m thinking of swearing." "At what?" Donelle was cracking the nuts. "At the absolute stupidity of——Good Lord, child"—Norval sprang toward her—"your skirt was on fire! He crushed the sparks and held her for a moment. "If anything happened to you," he muttered. "What would you do?" Donelle trembled a little in his arms.