pregnant than words, and I felt my darling's hands clasped on my arm,
and heard her gown sweep the little pebbles along the walk.

Something brought to my mind the conversation with Hilyard, and I half
thought to repeat it, but the night seemed too peaceful to sully by
telling a tale of such horrors, and beside, I fancied Amy disliked
Hilyard, although he had been intimate with the family for years, and in
fact, he and Amy had almost grown up together; but he had been
travelling for three years, and since his return Amy declared that he
had grown cynical and hard, and altogether disagreeable, and as I really
liked him, although our ideas on most subjects were radically opposed, I
thought I would not connect him, in Amy's mind, with an unpleasant
story.

I looked down into the delicate face lifted to mine, and pressed a
fervent kiss on the cream-white cheek. There was usually, even in her
tenderest moments, a certain virginal shrinking from a caress that was
an added charm, but to-night she moved closer to my side, and even
touched her lips to mine shyly, an occurrence so rare that I trembled
with joy, realizing as never before, that this sweet white flower was
all my own. I wanted to kiss her again, and with more fervor, upon the
mouth, but for her I had the feeling that I could not guard her, this
dear blossom of purest whiteness, too jealously. I would no more have
permitted myself, during our betrothal, to give her a very ardent
caress, the memory of which, however harmless it might seem to the
majority of affianced people, might cause her a troubled thought, than I
would have permitted a stranger to kiss my sister. Her maiden shyness
was a bloom which I did not wish to brush off. I took her hand in my own
as we turned to retrace our steps to the house, and stood looking down
at her in the wonderful September moonlight. She seemed a vestal virgin,