Keith must have perceived all these in that first hurried glance, for they
were ever after closely associated together in his mind, yet at the moment
he possessed no clear thought of anything except her. She stood directly
behind the table, where she must have sprung hastily at the first sound of
their approach, clutching at the rude mantel above the fireplace, and
staring toward him, her face white, her breath coming in sobs. At first he
thought the vision a dream, a delirium born from his long struggle; he
could not conceive the possibility of such a presence in this lonely
place, and staggering to his feet, gazed wildly, dumbly at the slender,
gray clad figure, the almost girlish face under the shadowing dark hair,
expecting the marvellous vision to vanish. Surely this could not be real!
A woman, and such a woman as this here, and alone, of all places! He
staggered from weakness, almost terror, and grasped the table to hold
himself erect. The rising wind came swirling in through the open door,
causing the fire to send forth spirals of smoke, and he turned, dragging
the dazed negro within, and snapping the latch behind him. When he glanced
around again he fully believed the vision confronting him would have
vanished. But no! there she yet remained, those wide-open, frightened
brown eyes, with long lashes half hiding their depths, looking directly
into his own; only now she had slightly changed her posture, leaning
toward him across the table. Like a flash he comprehended that this was
reality--flesh and blood--and, with the swift instinct of a gentleman, his
numbed, nerveless fingers jerked off his hat, and he bowed bareheaded
before her.

"Pardon me," he said, finding his voice with difficulty. "I fell over the
step, but--but I didn't expect to find a woman here."

He heard her quick breathing, marked a slight change in the expression of