Tom was leaning on the fence, looking out across the valley, but seeing nothing. His mind was in a whirl, for he was saying unto himself, “Now is the time, be a man, speak your heart boldly, for this is the opportunity!” Twice he tried to bring himself to speak, and twice his heart failed him. The third time that he strove, he broke the silence. “Patty,” said he. His heart was beating thickly, but there was no turning back now, for the first word had been spoken. Patty must have had an inkling of what was in Tom’s mind, for her bosom was rising and falling quickly. “Patty,” said Tom again. “What is it, Thomas?” said she, in a trembling voice, and without raising her head. Tom was picking nervously at the rough bark upon the fence-rail near to him, but he was looking at Patty. “Thee knows why I have been coming to see thee all this time, doesn’t thee, Patty?” “No,” whispered Patty. “Thee doesn’t know?” “No.” It seemed to Tom as though the beating of his heart would smother him: “Because,—because I love thee, Patty,” said he. Patty’s head sunk lower and lower, but she neither moved nor spoke. Then Tom said again, “I love thee, Patty.” He waited for a while and then he said: “Won’t thee speak to me, Patty?” “What does thee want me to say?” whispered she. “Does thee love me?” Silence. “Does thee love me?” Tom was standing very close to her as he spoke; when she answered it was hardly above her breath, but low as the whisper was he caught it— “Yes.” Ah me! those days have gone by now, and I am an old man of four score years and more, but even yet my old heart thrills at the remembrance of this that I here write. Manifold troubles and griefs have fallen upon me betwixt then and now; yet, I can say, when one speaks to me of the weariness of this world and of the emptiness of things within it, “Surely, life is a pleasant thing, when it holds such joys in store for us as this,—the bliss of loving and of being loved.” Half an hour afterward, Tom was walking down the road toward the old mill-house, and in his hand he held the hand of his darling—his first love—and life was very beautiful to him. CHAPTER III. NOW, although the good people of Eastcaster were very glad to welcome Tom Granger home again whenever he returned from a cruise, at the same time they looked upon him with a certain wariness, or shyness, for they could not but feel that he was not quite one of themselves.