“Oh, Adam!” Now she ran forward and caught him around the waist.  “Don’t be so hard with me.  I know I am very bad, but I didn’t mean to be.”

Some faint perception of that coarse fibre within her was breaking with horror through her face.  She held to his hands after he had separated her from his person and held her off.

“All that you do still has its effect on me,” said the man, gazing sternly at her.  “I love ye; but I despise myself for loving ye.  This morn I adored ye with reverence; this night you’re as a bit o’ that earth.”

Eva let go his hands and sat down on the ground.  As he made his preparations in the tent he could not help seeing with compassion how abjectly her figure drooped.  All its flexible proud lines, were suddenly gone.  She was dazed by his treatment and by the light in which he put her trifling.  She sat motionless until Adam came out with one of the cots in his arms.

“I’m to sleep upon the hill in the pine woods to-night,” said he.  “Go into the tent, and I’ll fasten the flaps.  You shan’t be scared by anything.”

“Let me get in the boat and leave the island, if you can’t breathe the same air with me,” said Eva. staggering up.

“No, I can’t breathe the same air with ye to-night, but ye’ll go into the tent,” said Adam, with authority.

“I’ll not stay there,” she rebelled.  “I’ll follow you.  You don’t know what may be on this island.”

“There can be nothing worse than what I’ve seen,” said Adam; “and that’s done all the hairm it can do.”

“Oh, Adam, are we both crazy?” the small creature burst out, weeping as if her heart would break.  “Don’t go away and leave me so.  I am not real bad in my heart, I know I am not; and if you would be a little patient with me and help me, I shall get over my silly ways.  There is something in me, you can depend upon, if I did do that foolish thing.  And my mother didn’t live long enough to train me, Adam; remember that.  Won’t you please kiss me?  My heart is breaking.”

He put down the cot and took her by the shoulders, trembling as he did so from head to foot: 

“My wife, I belaive what you say.  I’d give all the days remaining to me if I could strain ye against my breast with the feeling I had this morn.  But there comes that sight.  I never shall see the hill again, I never shall see a spot of this island again, without seeing your mouth kissing another man.  Go into the tent.  God knows I’d die before hairm should come to you.  But not to-night can I stay beside you.  Or kiss you.”

He carried her into the tent and put her on her bed.  She had made all the night-preparations herself, placing the pillows on both cots and turning back the sun-sweetened blankets.

Adam left her sobbing, buttoned the tent-flaps outside, and placed a barricade of kettles and pans which could not be touched without disturbing him on the hill.  Then, taking up his own bed, he marched off through the ferns, edging his burden among dense boughs as he ascended.