“Here comes Neil, and we’ll let the question fa’ to the ground.  There are wiser men than either you or I on baith sides.”

Joris nodded gravely, and turned to welcome the young man.  More than ever he liked him; for, apart from moral and prudential reasons, it was easy for the father to forgive an unreasonable love for his Katharine.  Also, he was now more anxious for a marriage between Neil and his daughter.  It was indeed the best thing to fully restore her to the social esteem of her own people; for by making her his wife, Neil would most emphatically exonerate her from all blame in the quarrel.  Just this far, and no farther, had Neil’s three months’ suffering aided his suit,—­he had now the full approval of Joris, backed by the weight of this social justification.

But, in spite of these advantages, he was really much farther away from Katherine.  The three months had been full of mental suffering to her, and she blamed Neil entirely for it.  She had heard from Bram the story of the challenge and the fight; heard how patiently Hyde had parried Neil’s attack rather than return it, until Neil had so passionately refused any satisfaction less than his life; heard, also, how even at the point of death, fainting and falling, Hyde had tried to protect her ribbon at his breast.  She never wearied of talking with Bram on the subject; she thought of it all day, dreamed of it all night.

And she knew much more about it than her parents or Joanna supposed.  Bram had easily fallen into the habit of calling at Cohen’s to ask after his patient.  He would have gone for his sister’s comfort alone, but it was also a great pleasure to himself.  At first he saw Miriam often; and, when he did, life became a heavenly thing to Bram Van Heemskirk.  And though latterly it was always the Jew himself who answered his questions, there was at least the hope that Miriam would be in the store, and lift her eyes to him, or give him a smile or a few words of greeting.  Katherine very soon suspected how matters stood with her brother, and gratitude led her to talk with him about the lovely Jewess.  Every day she listened with apparent interest to his descriptions of Miriam, as he had seen her at various times; and every day she felt more desirous to know the girl whom she was certain Bram deeply loved.

But for some weeks after the duel she could not bear to leave the house.  It was only after both men were known to be recovering, that she ventured to kirk; and her experience there was not one which tempted her to try the streets and the stores.  However, no interest is a living interest in a community but politics; and these probably retain their power because change is their element.  People eventually got weary to death of Neil Semple and Captain Hyde and Katherine Van Heemskirk.  The subject had been discussed in every possible light; and, when it was known that neither of the men was going to die, gossipers felt as if they had been somewhat defrauded, and the topic lost every touch of speculation.