“It would have been too late,” said John gravely. “You see, the mischief was already done. Phil had your picture in his room; I saw it away last fall. Then he talked of you often; read little bits sometimes from your letters; until I seemed to almost know you. Then your own letter came. Of course it was nothing――but―――― Oh, I am such an ass, Miss Ryerson! And then, when I came and saw you that day there at the station――well, it just clinched everything! It was queer; it didn’t seem as though I was meeting you for the first time. You were just what I had pictured you, only a hundred times better, lovelier, sweeter!” He paused, felt absent-mindedly for his pipe and placed it in his mouth. Then he took it out, put it back in his pocket, and went on more lightly. “I didn’t mean to tell you to-day――perhaps not at all before I went. But I couldn’t bear to let you think I was cad enough to do that as a joke. Perhaps――if I had waited? If I had kept silent until spring or even summer――――?” Margaret shook her head. “No; it would have been the same. I’m glad you spoke now before――before―――― Oh, it is better, isn’t it, to have the――the mistake corrected now?” “I suppose so,” he answered without conviction. “Well――――” He broke off and sat staring across the fields, the smile still on his face, and for a long minute there was silence between them. Margaret observed him with an indefinable expression in her dark eyes; there was regret there, and tenderness, and wonder. “I wish――――” she began. “What?” he asked. “Nothing.” And then, after another little pause, “But maybe you’d like to know it. I wish――I cared for you.” “You wish that?” he cried with a sudden note of hope in his voice. “Then――then――――!” “No, no, no! Don’t misunderstand me, please! I do wish that; yes. I would rather please you than give you pain. If I did care for you I should be glad――and proud to tell you so――and proud of your――love. But I don’t――not in the way you want me to.” “It is only pity,” he said sadly. “Yes.... I don’t know....” “But I will wait! I could――I could try to make you care for me――that way! Margaret! May I――try?” “Oh, you will mistake what I mean,” she cried regretfully. “Listen; perhaps I can make you understand. When you spoke of coming here to live, and when I tried to discourage you, I was hoping that you’d pay no heed to me and that you would come in spite of all I said. I thought it would be so nice to have you here――coming to see us――and all. And Phil likes you so much, and mamma, too. You are so big and capable and――and―――― Don’t you see, it was just selfishness? I wanted you for a friend――some one I could look to for help and advice in my miserable little quandaries. I――I liked you; that is all.” “I see.” Presently: