“It’s very beautiful!” he said.  “But life isn’t a procession round a Grecian Urn.  It’s hard riding from start to finish.  And it’s a poor sport that won’t accept that fact and ride according to the rules.  Marriage is one of the rules.  I believe in it.”

Judith walked slowly round the table and put a hand on either shoulder.  There was a baffling light in her splendid gray eyes as she said, “Douglas, do you think for a minute that if I told you I loved you madly, I couldn’t persuade you not to marry me?”

Her touch was flame.  Douglas drew a long, uncertain breath.

“If you said that you loved me madly, you could do almost anything with me, I suppose.  The only thing that keeps me steady is believing that you don’t love me.”

Judith smiled curiously.  Douglas lifted her hands from his shoulders.  “Don’t torture me, Jude,” he said, his voice husky and his fingers uncertain, as he lighted a cigarette.

“I wouldn’t torture you, any more than I’d torture myself,” replied Judith.

She leaned against the window-frame, looking out at the serenity of the mountain.

“Life,” she said suddenly, “is like climbing to the top of Falkner’s Peak.  Terribly difficult and frightfully wearing, but O, what marvelous views as you reach shoulder after shoulder!  Inez is beginning to find life rather a dreary kind of mess.  But not I!  The Lord knows, my life looks stupid to every one but me, and the Lord knows, I’m restless and unhappy.  But I never stop thinking for a minute that it’s great, just great to be alive and—­and alive.”

Douglas smiled a little uncertainly.  “Do you ever think twice the same way, Jude?”

“Once in a while!  In fact, I’m getting that way more and more.  You’ll see!  I’m going to get me educated, Douglas, and find me a real job.  See if I don’t!”

Douglas put on his gloves.  “I couldn’t be any prouder of you, Judith, if you had all the education in the world.  Don’t forget to come up on Sunday.”

“I suppose I’ll have to lend my support,” said Judith.  “But I still think you are a fool.”

“You can think me all the fools you want to, if you’ll just keep backing me,” replied Douglas, striding out to the whinnying Moose.

He found old Johnny and the preacher on terms of easy friendship.  Johnny was inclined to be patronizing but Douglas caught the twinkle in Fowler’s eyes and made no attempt to control Johnny’s manners.

It was not until nearly bed time that Doug missed Prince.  The old dog was gradually giving up the solitary coyote hunts he had taken in his younger days and, contrary too, to his earlier habits, he now liked to sleep indoors.  He was usually shivering on the doorstep waiting for a chance to scramble under the stove when Doug went out to look at the stock for the night.

But to-night he was not there, nor did his short bark come in response to Doug’s whistling.  Old Johnny and the preacher came to the door.