"Oh, no, no!" she replied. "You mustn't let anybody know that you know this. Aunt Tabitha told me not to say a word to anybody, and particularly to you. I'm not sure I didn't promise not to tell, but I must talk to somebody. There is something or other they don't tell me about a will; and aunt Tabitha says we shall both be paupers, if I don't do as she wishes." "Do as she wishes? What does she want you to do?" "She has promised him that I shall marry him," Ease said earnestly, with cheeks like the petals of a damask rose. "The devil she has!" "Hush! You mustn't talk so. Of course she wouldn't make me; but, if she did, what could I do?" "Do!" he exclaimed hotly. Then suddenly he changed his tone to one of cool impartiality. "If she makes you marry him, of course you'll have to do it." "But you wouldn't like to be made to marry him," she said, half crying. "No," he replied with an air of great candor. "I don't fancy I should. Frank Breck," he added vehemently, "is his father over again. I wonder if Putnam knows what he's about." "Oh, he couldn't!" Ease returned. "I don't understand it myself; only you mustn't let any one know I've told you any thing." "Look here, Ease," her companion said, flinging his cigar halfway across Wilk's Run, and taking her hand in his. "I want you to make me a promise--yes, two of them." "What are they?" "Will you promise?" "If I can." "Of course you can. The first is, that, if you get into any trouble where I can help you, you'll let me know. Do you promise that?" "Yes, I promise that; and I thank you for being such a dear good brother." "The second is, that, whatever happens, you won't marry Frank Breck." "But, Will"-- "No: no buts. Either promise, or don't promise; but don't put in ifs and buts." "But I must. There is aunt Tabitha." "Aunt Tabitha be hanged! I beg your pardon; but she has always used you shamefully, bossing you round, and"-- "We agreed long ago," she interrupted, "not to discuss her." "Very well. Only I wish you'd promise me." "How can I, when I might not be able to keep my promise?" "Good heavens, Ease!" he exclaimed, springing up, and pacing excitedly to and fro on the greensward. "It is enough to make a man go mad to hear you talk in that cold-blooded way about marrying Frank Breck. You can't marry him; and, what's more, you sha'n't marry him!" "Hark!" she said. They heard the sound of wheels, stopping immediately after upon the bridge, and then the voice of Burleigh Blood. "It isn't Flossy," Will said. "It must be," Ease answered. "There, don't you hear her call?" "What of it? Let her go home. When she finds we are not there, they'll send back for us. I want to talk to you." "Oh, no, no!" Ease said, hurrying along towards the bridge. "Aunt Tabitha didn't want me to come, anyway, and she'd be wild if she knew we hadn't been to church." "I should think you were old enough to decide something for yourself," he growled, giving her his hand to help her over the stones.