the luminous, greenish-yellow rim of the moon appeared and began to
flood the illimitable prairie with its wizard light.

"So this miscreant has been hunting you, Annette?" said Stephens,
for both had unconsciously dropped in rear. "I suppose, ma petite, if
I had the right to keep you from the fans of the water-mill, that I
also hold the right of endeavouring to preserve you from a man whose
arms would be worse than the rending wheel?" She said nothing, but
there was gratitude enough in her eye to reward one for the most
daring risk that man ever ran.

"You do not love this sooty persecutor, do you, ma chere?"--and
then, seeing that such a question filled her with pain and shame, he
said, "Hush now, petite; I shall not tease you any more." The
confusion passed away, and her olive face brightened, as does the
moon when the cloud drifts off its disc.

"I am very glad. Oh, if you only knew how I shudder at the sound of
his name!"

"There now, let us forget about him," and reining his horse closer
to hers, he leaned tenderly towards the girl. She said nothing, for
she was very much confused. But the confusion was less embarrassment
than a bewildered feeling of delight. Save for the dull thud, thud of
the hoofs upon the sod, her companion might plainly have heard the
riotous beating of the maiden's heart.

"And now, about that flower which I gave you this morning. What did
you do with it?"