With a sudden impulse of fear she put her finger to her lips; then, ashamed, sought to cancel the gesture. She had not changed her gown from the evening before, but was wrapped in furs. "Last night you locked me in; to-night you watch my door. What is the matter? Are you afraid of me?" He had noticed her abortive signal; his customary tones met any need for quiet of which he could conceive. "You!" Her lips formed the word. She seemed confounded by his suddenness. "You!" He gained no idea from the repeated monosyllable. "I will pack up my traps and go at once, rather than rob you of further sleep. Perhaps you will kindly make my excuses to your sister." He was turning, but added, "I evidently owe you an apology for remaining last night. I hope you understand that I had no excuse to give your sister--none, at least, that would not have been too true to suit you or too untrue to suit me." She made an imperious gesture; she spoke so low that he wondered at the power of command in her tone. "Go back and take your sleep out--you need it. Come to breakfast without saying that you have seen me. I have no explanation. I have nothing to say--except--" she lifted a weary face--"except that I hoped you were too tired to be wakeful." His incredulity was overcome by pity. "Can I do you no service?" She shook her head. "I have already asked far too much." Her voice sank as she spoke. "We are neighbors, and I think we must be friends. You are evidently in need of help." "From heaven--yes. But from you only what I have said." Chapter V THE NORTHERN LADIES Durgan furnished the wooden hut that stood on the ledge of the cliff between the road and the mine. Adam's wife baked his bread and made his bed. Durgan fell into the fanciful habit of calling her "Eve." "Oh, Marse Neil, honey; Adam an' Eve they was white folks. Thought you'd have known your Bible better 'an us pore niggers, an' we knows that much, sure 'nough--yes, we does, suh." When Eve spoke her words came in a multitude, soft and quick. "Wasn't mighty surprised you didn't stop with those Northern ladies. Very nice ladies they is, but they's the mightiest 'ticlar 'bout their house, an' the workin'est folks I ever did see. 'Tain't a sign o' good fam'ly--no, Marse Neil, suh--gettin' up near sun-up in the mornin', and allers a-doin'. 'Tain't like quality, an' you couldn't never have stopped. But they's powerful nice ladies, Miss Hermie an' Miss Birdie, an' I don't go to say a word against them, no, suh."