She searched his face eagerly for a moment. Then her eyes fell and she turned back to the seed-planting. He stood leaning over the fence with his hat in his hand, glancing impatiently at the house. "How can you respect yourself, to stand there idling and see me hard at work?" she said at length, without looking, at him. "But you do the work so well--better than I could! Besides, you are obeying a Divine law. I have no right to keep you from doing the will of God. I observe you as one of the daughters of Eve--under the curse of toil." "There's no Divine command that I should plant beans. But it is my command that Amy shall. And this is Amy's work. Aren't you willing to work for her?" she asked, slowly raising her eyes to his face. "I am willing to work for her, but I am not willing to do her work!" he replied." If the queen sits quietly in the parlour, eating bread and honey"--and he nodded, protesting, toward the house. "The queen's not in the parlour, eating bread and honey. She has gone to town to stay with Kitty Poythress till after the ball." She noted how his expression instantly changed, and how, unconscious of his own action, he shifted his face back to the direction of the town. "Her uncle was to take her in to-morrow," she went on, still watching him, "but no! she and Kitty must see each other to-night; and her uncle must be sure to bring her party finery in the gig to-morrow. I'm sorry you had your walk for nothing; but you'll stay to supper?" "Thank you; I must go back presently." "Didn't you expect to stay when you came?" He flushed and laughed in confusion. "If you'll stay, I'll make you a johnny-cake on a new ash shingle with my own hands." "Thank you, I really must go back. But if there's a johnny-cake already made, I could easily take it along." "My johnny-cakes do not bear transportation." "I wouldn't transport it far, you know." "Do stay! Major Falconer will be so disappointed. He said at dinner there were so many things he wanted to talk to you about. He has been looking for you to come out. And, then, we have had no news for weeks. The major has been too busy to go to town; and I!--I am as dry as one of the gourds of Confucius." His thoughts settled contentedly upon her once more and his face cleared. "I can't stay to supper, but I'll keep the Indians away till the major comes," he said. "What were you thinking of when I surprised you?"