"I am in one of the peaceful places now, and I am very happy and grateful. I wasn’t given your tempestuous nature, dear, so our experiences always are and will be different. The Father in mercy lets us develop as irresponsibly as the plants until we get such a glimpse into our souls as you had to-day; but then responsibility begins. It is sinning against light that warps and distorts us."
"I wonder if it would be good for me to be married," said Mildred musingly. "When girls are married, they haven’t much time to think about themselves."
"It is good for every girl to marry when she truly loves a man who is unexceptionable," returned Clover, smiling at her own triteness. "But you remember the girl must ask herself, not Can I live with this man? but Can I live without him?"
"Then I should certainly never marry. You didn’t do that, Clover."
Clover looked musingly out at the window. "No; I didn’t do that. I often think of that little ignorant girl who married dear Mr. Van Tassel. I don’t know whether I did right or not; but at the time I thought I did, and that is all I have any concern with; but I was not in freedom. You are in freedom. The Can I live without him? ought to mean Can we be more useful together than we could apart?"
"Why, you don’t leave a girl any comfort in thinking about herself at all," complained Mildred, half in tears.
"There isn’t much comfort in it, that is a fact," returned Clover, smiling. "You are tired, dear; go to bed now."
They rose, and Mildred took the smaller woman in her arms and their cheeks clung together. "I am unhappy, Clover," she said, with plaintive surprise at the fact.
"It is so restful," replied the other, "to think you have all eternity before you. Even if we only make a beginning here, it will be all right."
"I like your arms around me," said Mildred. "Let me sleep with you to-night."
It was Gorham Page’s habit to drop in at the Van Tassel house before making his nearly daily visit to the Fair.
One morning, as he ascended the steps, his sister met him. "I hoped you would come," she said. "I want to be condoled with. Robert’s foot has descended. We are going home."
"Oh, I am sorry," replied Gorham, taking the chair she offered him; "but can’t some arrangement be made?"