Bondo answered her quick interrogatory, and the troubled wonder in the eyes of Clarice, with a confused, “Of course it is his home; only I was thinking, that, to be sure, they must have come from some place, and maybe left friends behind them.”

Now it seemed as if this answer were not given with malicious purpose, but in proper self-defence; and by the time Clarice looked at him, and made him thus speak, Bondo perhaps supposed that he had not intended to trouble the poor soul.  But he could not avoid perceiving that a deep shadow fell upon the face of Clarice; and the conviction of her displeasure was not removed when she arose and led the child away.  But Clarice was not displeased.  She was only troubled sorely.  She asked her surprised self a dreary question:  If anywhere on earth the child had a living parent, or if he had any near of kin to whom his life was precious, what right to Gabriel had she?  Providence had sent him to her, she had often said, with deep thankfulness; but now she asked, Had he sent the child that she might restore him not only to life, but to others, whom, but for her, death had forever robbed of him?

From the day that the shadow of this thought fell across her way, the composure and deep content of the life of Clarice were disturbed.  Not merely the presence of Emmins became a trouble and annoyance, but the praise that her neighbors were prompt to lavish on Gabriel, whenever she went among them, became grievous to her ears.  The shadow which had swept before her eyes deepened and darkened till it obscured all the future.  She was experiencing all the trouble and difficulty of one who seeks to evade the weight of a truth which has nevertheless surrounded and will inevitably capture her.

Nothing of this escaped the eyes of the young fisherman.  Time should work for him, he said; he had shot an arrow; it had hit the mark; now he would heal the wound.  He might easily have persuaded himself that the wound was accidental, and so have escaped the conviction of injury wrought with intention.  All would have been immediately well with him and Clarice, had it not been for Clarice!  There are persons, their name is Legion, who are as wanton in offence as Bondo Emmins,—­whose souls are black with murderous records of hopes they have destroyed; yet they will condole with the mourners!

To this doubt as to her duty, this evasion of knowledge concerning it, this silence in regard to what chiefly occupied her conscience, was added a new trouble.  As Gabriel grew older, a restless, adventurous spirit began to manifest itself in him.  From a distance regarding the daring feats of other children, his impulse was to follow and imitate them.  At times, in ungovernable outbreaks of merriment, he would escape from the side of Clarice, with fleet, daring steps which seemed to set her pleasure at defiance; and when, after his first exploit, which filled her with astonishment, she prepared to join him in his sport, and did follow, laughing, a wilfulness, which made her tremble, roused to resist her, and gave an almost tragic ending to the play.