"He won't be here to-morrow," said the stranger hastily. He stopped,
and as quickly corrected himself. "That is, his business is so very
uncertain, my friend says."

Only Kate noticed the slip; but she noticed also that her sister was
apparently unconscious of it. "You think," she said, "that Mr. Hale may
be delayed?"

He turned upon her almost brusquely. "I mean that it is already snowing
up there;" he pointed through the window to the cloud Kate had noticed;
"if it comes down lower in the pass the roads will be blocked up. That
is why it would be better for us to try and get on at once."

"But if Mr. Hale is likely to be stopped by snow, so are you," said
Mrs. Hale playfully; "and you had better let us try to make your friend
comfortable here rather than expose him to that uncertainty in his
weak condition. We will do our best for him. My sister is dying for
an opportunity to show her skill in surgery," she continued, with
an unexpected mischievousness that only added to Kate's surprised
embarrassment. "Aren't you, Kate?"

Equivocal as the young girl knew her silence appeared, she was unable to
utter the simplest polite evasion. Some unaccountable impulse kept her
constrained and speechless. The stranger did not, however, wait for her
reply, but, casting a swift, hurried glance around the room, said, "It's
impossible; we must go. In fact, I've already taken the liberty to order
the horses round. They are at the door now. You may be certain," he
added, with quick earnestness, suddenly lifting his dark eyes to Mrs.
Hale, and as rapidly withdrawing them, "that your horse will be returned
at once, and--and--we won't forget your kindness." He stopped and turned