“By degrees won’t do; you have got to stop right off.  Besides, you know how much your promises are worth.”

Charnock colored.  “That’s rather cruel, Sadie, but I suppose it’s deserved.”

“I don’t mean what you think; not your promise to Miss Dalton,” Sadie answered with some embarrassment.  “You told me you wouldn’t drive over to Wilkinson’s again, and the first time I wasn’t about you went.  Very well.  Since I can’t trust you round the settlement, we’re going to quit.  I’ve decided to sell out the business as soon as I can get the price I want.”

“Sell the store and hotel!” Charnock exclaimed.  “I suppose you know you’d get three or four times as much if you held on for a few years.”

“That’s so.  But what’s going to happen to you while I wait?”

Charnock turned his head for a moment, and then looked up with a contrite air.

“By George, Sadie, you are fine!  But I can’t allow this sacrifice.”

“You won’t be asked,” Sadie rejoined with forced quietness.  She was moved by Charnock’s exclamation, but durst not trust him or herself.  There was a risk of his persuading her to abandon the plan if he knew how deeply she was stirred.

“Well,” he said, “what do you propose to do?”

“Take a farm far enough from town to make it hard for you to drive in and out.  Donaldson’s place would suit; he quits in the fall, you know, and we hold his mortgage.”

Charnock got up and walked about the floor.  Then he stopped opposite his wife.

“You mean well, Sadie, and you’re very generous,” he said with some emotion.  “Still you ought to see the plan won’t work.  I had a good farm and made a horrible mess of things.”

“You won’t do that now.  I’ll be there,” Sadie rejoined.

Charnock did not answer, but gave her a curious look, and she pondered for a moment or two.  He was obviously moved, but one could not tell how far his emotions went, and she knew he did not want to listen.  She understood her husband and knew he sometimes deceived himself.

“No!” He resumed; “it’s too big a sacrifice!  You like people about you and would see nobody but me and the hired man, while I admit I’m enough to jar a woman’s nerves.  Then think of the work; the manual work.  You couldn’t live as the bachelors live among dust and dirt, and it’s a big undertaking to keep a homestead clean when you can’t get proper help.  Besides, there’s the baking, cooking, and washing, while you have done nothing but superintend.  I’d hate to see you worn and tired, and you know you’re not so patient then.  I get slack if things go wrong, and if I slouched about, brooding, when I ought to be at work, it would make you worse.”

Sadie smiled.  “That’s very nice, Bob; but how much are you thinking about me and how much about yourself?”

“To tell the truth, I don’t know,” Charnock replied with naive honesty.  “Anyhow, I am thinking about you.”