I did not remember or care for the hours of breakfast or dinner; excitement had driven all thoughts of food from my mind. This increased my languor and made me more helpless still. Why had this beautiful woman come to torment me? What had I done to be thus virtually driven into the fields like a wild animal? I wandered off to the ridge, and sat down on the rock where I had once conversed with Mrs. Dennison. I do not know what time of the day it was; for the sun was obscured and the heavens were fleecy with black clouds. My head ached sadly; but that was nothing to the pain at my heart. A storm came up while I sat there; but I was quite unconscious of it till my clothes were wet through, and I felt all my limbs shivering with the cold. I did not think of the consequences; it seemed so natural that I should be beaten down, that I cowered under the fierce rain like a poor flower that grew by me on the rock. The sunshine might revive that--would it ever come to me? I remember feeling a mournful companionship with this solitary blossom, and sheltering it with a corner of my wet shawl. It was some distraction to the thoughts that harassed me to fancy the pretty thing as wretched as myself. Still I sat upon the rock, and still the rain beat down upon me. At last I heard Lottie's voice through the drifting storm, calling for me anxiously. I arose and stood up, trembling from head to foot--the wet had chilled the very heart in my bosom. "Why, what is this? Where have you been? What's the matter? Ain't you a fool, good and strong? Mercy! how you look--how your teeth do chatter! Now, speak out and let's know if you really are alive!" cried the kind-hearted creature, attempting to shake the wet from my shawl, but, finding that hopeless, wringing it between both hands, like a washerwoman. "I've been with her all day; haven't left her one minute alone--not even with him. When he came, I planted myself by the bed, and there I stood like a monument. She kept asking for you." "For me?" I faltered, smitten with compunction. "I did not think of that." "You've given up thinking of anything, I'm afraid," said Lottie, shivering. "It wasn't just the thing to run off and leave me to bear the brunt of all their looks and questions! Not that I answered them--oh, no! but I wanted to get off and have a good cry as well as you." "I am very sorry, Lottie." "But that was nothing till she asked for you over and over again; then I'd 'a' given anything to have jumped up and after you. Besides, Miss Jessie was hunting up and down, wondering where you were, and Mr. Lee looked like a thunder-cloud." "Mr. Lee?" "Yes, Mr. Lee! But there you stand with your teeth going chatter--chatter--chatter--like a squirrel cracking hickory-nuts. Do come into the house!" I followed her, meekly enough; she scolding and reviling, and petting me all the way as if I had been a lap-dog out of favor.