“You will be justified if you do,” Gordon said gravely.  “Perhaps you will not.  But you are old enough, and ought to have self-command enough to keep your head, and shield the poor child against possible contingencies.  You have not known each other very long.  It is not possible that she would die of it now, nor you.  If you can only keep your head, and meander along the path of love instead of plunging into bottomless depths, it will be better for both of you.  I know what I am talking about.  I am old enough to be your father.  Go slow, for God’s sake, if you care about the girl.”

“She is the whole world to me,” said James.

“Then, go slow!  It will be better for her if you are not the whole world to her, until you know what a day may bring forth.”

“I don’t care what a day brings forth.”

“You are tempting the gods?” said Gordon.  “Elliot, you don’t know what you are talking about.  I am not treating you fairly not to tell you the whole story, but I don’t see my way clear.  You must bear in mind what I say.  I did not think of any such complication when you came here.  I was a fool not to.  I know what young people are, and Clemency is a darling, and you have your good points.  The amount of it is, if I don’t get stuck by Sam Tucker in a horse trade, Fate sticks me in something bigger.  I don’t see the inevitable, I suppose, because I am so close to it that it is like facing the wall of a precipice all the time.  We have to stop here.  The woman’s daughter is coming down with a fever, which will not kill her, and she will have it to brag of all her life.  She will date all earthly events from this fever.  Whoa, Fanny!”

That evening James and Clemency went for a drive.  It was a clear night, but dark, save for the stars.  Clemency had a thick veil over her face, which seemed entirely unnecessary.  Directly as they started, she made a little involuntary nestling motion toward the young man at her side.  It was as innocent as the nestling of a baby.  James put his arm around her.  He thought with indignation of Doctor Gordon’s warning, as if anything in the world could cause him to change his mind about this dear child who loved him.  “You darling!” he whispered.  “So you have not thought better of it.”

“What do you mean?” Clemency whispered back.

“Why, dear, you have fairly run away from me all day long.”

“I was afraid,” Clemency whispered, then she put her head against his shoulder, and laughed a delicious little laugh.  “I never was in love before, and I don’t know how to act,” said she.

“Put up your veil,” said James.

“Why?”

“I want a kiss.”

Clemency put up her veil obediently and kissed him like a child.  Then there was a sudden flash of light from a lantern, and a dark form was at the mare’s head.  But she was true to her master’s opinion of her.  She gave a savage duck at the man and started violently, so that James was forced to release Clemency and devote his entire attention to driving.  Clemency shrank close to him, shivering like one in a chill.  “He saw me,” she gasped.  “It was that same man, and this time he saw me.”