"I--I wasn't in love with him when I came, Stefan," she faltered. "He--he was a stranger to me. I had never seen him--never in all my life. I came here because--because there has been some terrible mistake--in some letters, queer letters that bade me come here and--and meet a man who wanted a wife. And I--I was a poor miserable sick girl in New York and--and I just couldn't keep body and soul together anymore--and--and be a good decent girl. And those letters seemed so beautiful that I felt I must come and see the man who wrote them, and--and I was ready to marry him if he would be kind to me and--and treat me decently and--and keep me from starvation and suffering. And when I came here he didn't know anything about it, and--and I thought he lied. But--but I never thought to do him any harm. I took the little pistol out of the bag, because I was looking for something else, and it went off! Oh!" She hid her face in her hands, as if the whole scene had been again enacted before her, and the man heard her sobbing. "Hugo he nefer tell no lie," said Stefan, softly. "I don't know vhat all dis mean, you bet. But I am glad you ban come like a stranger. I am glad he no lofe you, and den I am sorry, too, for you so nice gal, vid voice so soft and such prettee eyes, I tank if he lofe you den you sure lofe him too. Den you two so happy in dis place, ma'am." He interrupted himself, striking his fist upon his chest, as if to still a pain in it, and went on again. "You haf no idea how prettee place dis is, leetle leddy, in de summertime. A vonderful place to be happy in. De big falls dey make music all day and at night dey sings you to sleep, like de modder she sings leetle babies. Und de big birches dey lean ofer, so beautiful, and de birds dey comes all rount, nesting in all de bushes. Oh, such a vonderful place for a man and a voman to love, dem falls of dat Roaring Rifer! Hugo he cleared such a goot piece, oder side of dat leetle hill, vhere de oats vould grow fine. And down by de Rifer, on de north side, he find silver, plenty silver in big veins, like dey got east of us, in Nipissing countree. So I tank one day he ban a rich man and haf a prettee little voman and plenty nice kiddies, leetle children like one lofes to see, and dey all lif here so happy." His voice grew suddenly hoarse. It was with an effort that he spoke again. "An' now he don' know me--or you or Maigan, and--and my goot dear frient Hugo he look like he ban dyin'!"