Dorian moved his chair close to her, then said: 

“You are mistaken, of course, in placing my goodness so high, though I’ve always tried to do the right by everybody.  That I have failed with you is evidence that I am not so perfect as you say.  But now, let’s forget everything else but the fact that we love each other.  Can’t we be happy in that?”

The roses faded from Carlia’s cheeks, though coaxed to stay by the firelight.

“My dear,” he continued, “we’ll go home, and I’ll try to make up to you my failings.  I think I can do that, Carlia, when you become my wife.”

“I can’t, Dorian, Oh, I can’t be that.”

“Why not Carlia?”

“I can’t marry you.  I’m not—­No, Dorian.”

“In time, Carlia.  We will have to wait, of course; but some day”—­he took her hands, and she did not seem to have power to resist—­“some day” he said fervently, “you are going to be mine for time and for eternity.”

They looked into each others faces without fear.  Then:  “Go now, Dorian” she said.  “I can’t stand any more tonight.  Please go.”

“Yes; I’ll go.  Tomorrow, the stage comes again this way, and we’ll go with it.  That’s settled.  Goodnight.”

They both arose.  He still held her hands.

“Goodnight,” he repeated, and kissed her gently on the cheek.

CHAPTER NINETEEN.

The sudden return of Carlia Duke to her home created as much talk as her disappearance had done.  Dorian was besieged with enquirers whom he smilingly told that he had just come across her taking a little vacation up in the hills.  What, in the hills in the depths of winter?  Why, yes; none but those who have tried it know the comfort and the real rest one may obtain shut out by the snow from the world, in the solitude of the hills.  He told as little as possible of the details of his search, even to Carlia’s parents.  Any unpleasant disclosures would have to come from her to them, he reasoned.  Not being able to get Dorian talking about the case, the good people of Greenstreet soon exhausted their own knowledge of the matter, so in a short time, the gossip resumed its every-day trend.

Hardly a day passed without Dorian spending some time with Carlia.  She would not go to Sunday School or to Mutual, and it was some time before he could convince her that it was a matter of wisdom as well as of right that she should attend some of the public ward meetings.  Frequently, he took his book to the Duke home and read aloud to Carlia.  This she enjoyed very much.  Sometimes the book was a first class novel, but oftener it was a scientific text or a religions treatise.  Carlia listened attentively to his discussion of deep problems, and he was agreeably surprised to learn that she could readily follow him in the discussion of these themes; so that the long winter evenings spent with her either at her home or at his own became a source of great inspiration to the young man who had not lost sight or the mission assigned to him by the beloved Uncle Zed.  Dorian talked freely to Carlia on how he might best fulfill the high destiny which seemed to lay before him; and Carlia entered enthusiastically into his plans.