her mother had bade her to be to Willie, and all the horrible stories
she had heard about madhouses, and he would be on her side at once."

And so she watched for his coming, intending to apologise as soon as
ever she saw him. She hurried over her household work, in order to
sit quietly at her sewing, and hear the first distant sound of his
well-known step or whistle. But even the sound of her flying needle
seemed too loud--perhaps she was losing an exquisite instant of
anticipation; so she stopped sewing, and looked longingly out through
the geranium leaves, in order that her eye might catch the first stir
of the branches in the wood-path by which he generally came. Now and
then a bird might spring out of the covert; otherwise the leaves were
heavily still in the sultry weather of early autumn. Then she would
take up her sewing, and, with a spasm of resolution, she would
determine that a certain task should be fulfilled before she would
again allow herself the poignant luxury of expectation. Sick at
heart was she when the evening closed in, and the chances of that day
diminished. Yet she stayed up longer than usual, thinking that if he
were coming--if he were only passing along the distant road--the
sight of a light in the window might encourage him to make his
appearance even at that late hour, while seeing the house all
darkened and shut up might quench any such intention.

Very sick and weary at heart, she went to bed; too desolate and
despairing to cry, or make any moan. But in the morning hope came
afresh. Another day--another chance! And so it went on for weeks.
Peggy understood her young mistress's sorrow full well, and respected
it by her silence on the subject. Willie seemed happier now that the
irritation of Michael's presence was removed; for the poor idiot had
a sort of antipathy to Michael, which was a kind of heart's echo to