"How splendid! I'm glad! And of course I congratulate you .... No? .... You've not asked her yet? But that will be all right--of course it will!" Taking off his cap to fan himself with, Gell broke into fits of half hysterical laughter. Then he said: "You don't mind my saying something now that it's all over? No? Well, to tell you the truth I could never believe you really cared for Bessie. I thought you were only marrying her as a sort of duty, having got her into trouble with Dan Baldromma. And it was so--partly so--wasn't it? That didn't excuse me, though, did it? Lord, what a relief! I feel as if you had lifted ten tons off my head." A dark memory came to Stowell. "Has she told him?" "Bessie will be relieved, too, and just as glad as I am. Do you know, there's a heart of gold in that girl. She's never had a dog's chance yet. Not much education, I admit, but such spirit, such character! Such a woman too--you said so yourself, remember." A still darker memory of something the Governor had said came to Stowell. "Didn't you say Bessie had written to me?" he asked. "Yes, she did, yesterday; but I destroyed her letter." "Do you know, I wrote to Bessie to-day, and I destroyed my letter also." "No? What fun if your letters had crossed in the post," said Gell, and tossing his cap into the air, he broke into still louder peals of laughter. Again Stowell felt immense relief. It was impossible that Bessie could have told him. And if she hadn't, why should he? Why injure the girl in Gell's eyes? Why tarnish his faith in her? It was the woman's secret, therefore he must never reveal it--never in this world. They were walking on. Gell with a high step was kicking up the withered leaves. "What about your people?" asked Stowell. "Ah, that's what I've got to find out. I'm going home now to tell them. My mother is always advising me to marry and settle down, but of course she'll jib at Bessie, and the sisters will follow suit. As for my father, he has only one son, as he says, and I must have a better allowance. He cut it down after that affair in the Courts, you know." They were at the gate to the road, and pulling it open, Gell said: "Phew! How different I feel from what I did when I was coming in here half an hour ago! I thought you would kick me out the minute I had told you. But now we're going to be better friends than ever, aren't we?" "Good-bye and good luck, old fellow," said Stowell. "Good-bye, and God bless you, old chap," said Gell. Stowell stood at the gate and watched him going off with long strides, his shoulders working vigorously. "Never again! We can never be the same friends again," thought Stowell, as he turned back to the house. He was feeling like a man who in a moment of passion has secretly wronged his life-long friend and can never look straight into his eyes again.