At a little distance now he could see the brown horse and his rider, with Lewis following. Coming slowly at first, then with sudden haste as she saw a horseman at the door. Hazel knew her mistake in a moment, but she kept up her pace as the unwelcome visiter came on to meet her; and just at the steps deftly jumped herself off, giving no chance to civilities. Then after a few words of colloquy dismissed the intruder, and came slowly up the steps. There paused, looking wistfully down the empty road, and finally came in, taking notes and messages from Dingee. 'Give me tea directly,' she said. 'And admit no one, on any pretence whatever.' 'Mas' Falkirk?' suggested Dingee. 'Spose done come home?' 'Mr. Falkirk never asks admittance.' 'Mas' Rollo?' 'Did you hear what I said!'—exclaimed his mistress; and Dingee vanished. Wych Hazel turned for one more look at the road, drew a deep sigh that was half patient and half impatient; and then slowly pulling off cap and gloves came forward to the corner room, chanting softly to herself as she came— ' "Endlich blüht die Aloe, "Endlich trägt der Palmbaum Früchte; "Endlich schwindet Furcht und Weh, "Endlich wird der Schmerz zu nichte; "Endlich nah't das Freudenthal; "Endlich, endlich kommt einmal!" ' But with the first step inside the door the girl stopped short, folding her hands over her eyes as if they were dazzled. 'Endlich?' repeated Rollo. But then there was a long silence. 'Endlich—what?' 'Kommt einmal.—But I thought it never would!' 'Ah, what do you know about it? I am very tired of living without you, Wych!' 'Yes.'—Words were like sighs to-day. 'Yes? Do _you_ say so? What do you know? There has been all these weeks a visionary presence of you—that was not you—flitting before me continually; standing beside me, coming and going, by night and by day, with the very rustle of your garments and the look of your brown eyes; but I could not touch it, and it did not speak to me; it smiled at me, but the lips were silent; and the eyes sparkled and were sometimes wistful, but it passed on and vanished. It mocked me, it tantalized me. The experience was good for me perhaps; I was obliged to remind myself that I had something else to live for. In the night watches this presence came and brushed by me—looked in at the door—stood between the rising sun and my eyes—hovered like a vision in the moonlight;— sorrowed over me when I was weary, and comforted me when I was sick. I mean, the vision did; but the fact of the vision tantalized me. Is this hand true flesh and blood?' He tried it with his lips. A shadow as of what had been came over the girl's face. She answered unsteadily— 'You did not stand by me in my watches. You have been off at the very ends of the earth!—And—O won't you let me go and get off my habit?' 'How long will you take?' 'Two minutes.'