us in secret shall then reward us openly!  Yea, more, for are not we ourselves capable of holding communion with this part of God within us?  We know our souls are with us to-day, and it is only because the roots of thought are covered, and the feet of envy, hatred and malice are pressing, the hard soil against them, that the tendrils of our loving natures are never asked to climb, and the eternal ivy of our great love reaches not the windows of expressed thought, else our hands would be made strong to do daily that which is found to do with all our might.”

Her last beautiful utterance finished, she closed her eyes as if covered with the mantle of her holy thoughts, and we all sat in a breathless silence.  Aunt Hildy who sat in the corner (by preference) stirred not a muscle from the beginning to the close of her talk, and Mr. Benton looked first in wonder then in admiration, and when our silence was broken by a fervent “Amen” from Aunt Hildy, he added: 

“‘Even so let it be.’  Those thoughts are beautiful.”

Clara looked at him with an almost reproachful glance, the import of which I could not understand.

I was not sensitive like Clara; perhaps intuitive would express it better.  She seemed to understand every one’s nature on the first meeting, and I had marvelled many tunes at her accuracy in reading character.

She told me that her heart went out to Aunt Hildy at their first meeting, and I felt convinced now there was something about this new friend that no one save herself could detect, and whether it had shape with her or not was a question.

Three weeks of Mr. Benton’s stay had passed when this incident occurred, and from that hour there was a marked change in his manner toward her.  I could see, ignorant as I was of the phases of life, how he was attracted to her.  This glimpse of her wondrous nature had opened his eyes, and perhaps touched his heart.  His age must be about hers, I thought, and how strange if it should be that he loved her.  But here I run into a mist where nothing was plain.  Days will tell the story, I thought, and we were sure of days and changes while life lasted.  It became plain to me after a little that Clara felt the change in his manner toward her, and in every quiet move of hers I detected the disposition on her part to repel any advances.  She gave him no opportunity to be with her alone, and if by chance this happened, her sweet voice would call “Emily, come in this way, we are lonely without you,” and her eyes would turn on me when I entered with a sort of wistful glance.  It always reminded me of a child looking confidently into the eyes of its mother, expecting the help it was sure to find.  I hardly enjoyed this, for I knew Mr. Benton thought me old enough to discern a little, and he must have believed us to be in league together, whereas no word had passed between us on the subject until just before Christmas, when Louis was expected.