The boy's bliss had reached its utmost limit, and yet had not surpassed the woman's. The vigorous walk through the woods; the silent ministrations of nature; the simple food; the sweet imaginative associations with David; but above all that most recreative force in nature,--the presence and prattle of a child,--filled her sad heart with a happiness of which she had believed herself forever incapable.
They sat for a few moments in silence, after Pepeeta had finished one of her most charming reminiscences, and then Steven, springing to his feet, exclaimed:
"Why, Pepeeta, we have forgotten the secret! Come and I will show it to thee."
She took his proffered hand and was led into the depths of the cavern.
"Oh! but I am so frightened," she answered, pretending to shudder and draw back.
"Thee need not be afraid. I will protect thee," he said, reassuringly.
"Are thy eyes shut tight? How many fingers do I hold up?" he asked, raising his hand.
"All right; there were only two," he said, convinced and satisfied.
He led her along a dozen steps or so, and then halted.
"Turn this way," swinging her about; "do not open thy eyes till I tell thee. There--now!"
For an instant the darkness seemed impenetrable; but there was enough of a faint light, rather like pale belated moonbeams than the brightness of the sun, to enable her to read her own name carved upon the smooth wall of rock.
"Ah! little deceiver, when did you do this?" she asked, touched by his gallantry.
"Do this! Why, Pepeeta, I did not do it," he answered, surprised and taken back by her misunderstanding.
"You did not do it?" she asked, astonished in her turn. "Who did it if you did not?"
And then it slowly dawned upon her that it was the work of her lover, done in those days when he wandered about the country restless and tormented by his passion. His own dear hand had traced those letters on the rock!
This was an indescribable shock to the child, who had anticipated a result so different, and he sprang to her side, embraced her in his young arms and cried:
"What is the matter, Pepeeta? I did not mean to make thee sad; I meant to make thee happy! Oh, do not cry!"
"You have made me a thousand times glad, my dear boy," she said, kissing him gratefully. "You could not in any other way in the world give me such happiness as this. But did you not know that we can cry because we are glad as well as because we are sad?"
