While Holcroft's sympathies had been deeply touched by the intense emotion of gratitude which had overpowered Alida, he had also been disturbed and rendered somewhat anxious.  He was actually troubled lest the woman he was about to marry should speedily begin to love him, and develop a tendency to manifest her affection in a manner that would seem to him extravagant and certainly disagreeable.  Accustomed all his life to repress his feelings, he wondered at himself and could not understand how he had given way so unexpectedly.  He was not sufficiently versed in human nature to know that the depth of Alida's distress was the adequate cause.  If there had been a false or an affected word, he would have remained cool enough.  In his inability to gauge his own nature as well as hers, he feared lest this businesslike marriage was verging toward sentiment on her part.  He did not like her kissing his hand.  He was profoundly sorry for her, but so he would have been for any other woman suffering under the burden of a great wrong.  He felt that it would be embarrassing if she entertained sentiments toward him which he could not reciprocate, and open manifestations of regard would remind him of that horror of his life, Mrs. Mumpson.  He was not incapable of quick, strong sympathy in any instance of genuine trouble, but he was one of those men who would shrink in natural recoil from any marked evidence of a woman's preference unless the counterpart of her regard existed in his own breast.

To a woman of Alida's intuition the way in which he withdrew his hand and the expression of his face had a world of meaning.  She would not need a second hint.  Yet she did not misjudge him; she knew that he meant what he had said and had said all that he meant.  She was also aware that he had not and never could understand the depths of fear and suffering from which his hand was lifting her.  Her gratitude was akin to that of a lost soul saved, and that was all she had involuntarily expressed.  She sat down again and quietly dried her eyes, while in her heart she purposed to show her gratitude by patient assiduity in learning to do what he required.

Holcroft was now bent upon carrying out his plan as quickly as possible and returning home.  He therefore asked, "Can you go with me at once, Alida?"

She simply bowed her acquiescence.

"That's sensible.  Perhaps you had better get your things ready while I and Mr. Watterly go and arrange with Justice Harkins."

Alida averted her face with a sort of shame which a woman feels who admits such a truth. "I haven't anything, sir, but a hat and cloak to put on.  I came away and left everything."

"And I'm glad of it," said Holcroft heartily. "I wouldn't want you to bring anything which that scoundrel gave you."  He paced the room thoughtfully a moment or two and then he called Watterly in.  "It's settled, Tom.  Alida will be Mrs. Holcroft as soon as we can see the justice.  Do you think we could persuade him to come here?"

"One thing at a time.  Mrs. Holcroft,--I may as well call you so, for when my friend says he'll do a thing he does it,--I congratulate you.  I think you are well out of your troubles.  Since you are to marry my old friend, we must be friends, too," and he shook her heartily by the hand.

His words and manner were another ray of light--a welcome rift in the black pall that had gathered round her.

"You were the first friend I found, sir, after--what happened," she said gratefully.

"Well, you've found another and a better one; and he'll always be just the same.  Any woman might be glad--"

"Come, Tom, no more of that.  I'm a plain old farmer that does what he agrees, and that's all there is about it.  I've told Alida just what I wished and could do--"

"I should hope so," interrupted Watterly, laughing. "You've taken time enough, certainly, and I guess you've talked more than you have before in a year."

"Yes, I know I'm almost as bad as an oyster about talking except when I'm with you.  Somehow we've always had a good deal to say to each other.  In this case, I felt that it was due to Alida that she should know all about me and understand fully just how I felt concerning this marriage.  The very fact that she hasn't friends to advise her made it all the more needful that I should be plain and not mislead her in any respect.--She has just as good a right to judge and act for herself as any woman in the land, and she takes me, and I take her, with no sentimental lies to start with.  Now let's get back to business.  I rather think, since Harkins was an old acquaintance of mine, he'll come up here and marry us, don't you?  Alida, wouldn't you rather be married here quietly than face a lot of strangers?  You can have your own way,  I don't care now if half the town was present."

"Oh, yes, indeed, sir!  I don't want to meet strangers--and--and--I'm not very strong yet.  I thank you for considering my feelings so kindly."

"Why, that's my duty," replied the farmer. "Come, Watterly, the sun is getting low, and we've considerable to do yet before we start home."

"I'm with you.  Now, Alida, you go back quietly and act as if nothing had happened till I send for you.  Of course this impatient young groom will hurry back with the justice as fast as possible.  Still, we may not find him, or he may be so busy that we shall have to come back for you and take you to his office."

As she turned to leave the room, Holcroft gave her his hand and said kindly, "Now don't you be nervous or worried.  I see you are not strong, and you shall not be taxed any more than I can help.  Goodby for a little while."

Meantime Watterly stepped out a moment and gave his domestic a few orders; then he accompanied Holcroft to the barn, and the horses were soon attached to the market wagon. "You're in for it now, Jim, sure enough," he said laughing. "What will Angy say to it all?"

"Tell her that I say you've been a mighty good friend to me, yet I hope I may never return any favors of the same kind."

"By jocks!  I hope not.  I guess it's just as well she was away.  She'll think we've acted just like two harum-scarum men, and will be awfully scandalized over your marrying this woman.  Don't you feel a little nervous about it?"

"No!  When my mind's made up, I don't worry.  Nobody else need lie awake for it's my affair."

"Well, Jim, you know how I feel about it, but I've got to say something and I might as well say it plain."

"That's the only way you ought to say it."

"Well, you talked long enough to give me plenty of time to think. One thing is clear, Angy won't take to this marriage.  You know I'd like to have you both come in and take a meal as you always have done, but then a man must keep peace with his wife, and--"

"I understand, Tom.  We won't come till Mrs. Watterly asks us."

"But you won't have hard feelings?"

"No, indeed.  Aint you doing your level best as a friend?"

"Well, you know women are so set about these things, and Angy is rather hard on people who don't come up to her mark of respectability.  What's more, I suppose you'll find that others will think and act as she does.  If you cared about people's opinions I should have been dead against it, but as you feel and are situated, I'm hanged if I don't think she's just the one."

"If it hadn't been this one, I don't believe it would have been anyone.  Here we are," and he tied his horses before the office of the justice.

Mr. Harkins greeted Holcroft with a sort of patronizing cordiality, and was good enough to remember that they had been at the little country schoolhouse together.  In Watterly he heartily recognized a brother politician who controlled a goodly number of votes.

When Holcroft briefly made known his errand, the justice gave a great guffaw of laughter and said, "Oh, bring her here!  And I'll invite in some of the boys as witnesses."

"I'm not afraid of all the witnesses that you could crowd into a ten-acre lot," said Holcroft somewhat sternly, "but there is no occasion to invite the boys, whoever they are, or anyone else.  She doesn't want to be stared at.  I was in hopes, Mr. Harkins, that you'd ride up to the almshouse with us and quietly marry us there."

"Well, I guess you'd better bring her here.  I'm pretty busy this afternoon, and--"

"See here, Ben," said Watterly, tak............