“Isn’t it beautiful—­glorious?” he cried softly.

“It’s wonderful!” I said.  “You won’t see this down there, Thornton!”

“Nor hear those sounds,” he replied, his hand tightening on my arm.  “We’re pretty close to God up here, aren’t we?  She’ll like it—­I’ll bring her back!”

“She!” He looked at me, his teeth shining in that wonderful silent laugh.  “I’m going to tell you about it,” he said.  “I can’t keep it in any longer.  Let’s go down by the lake.”

We walked down and seated ourselves on the edge of a big rock.

“I told you that I came up here because of a woman—­and a man,” continued Thornton.  “Well, I did.  The man and woman were husband and wife, and I—­”

He interrupted himself with one of his chuckling laughs.  There was something in it that made me shudder.

“No use to tell you that I loved her,” he went on.  “I worshipped her.  She was my life.  And I believe she loved me as much.  I might have added that there was a third thing that drove me up here—­what remained of the rag end of a man’s honor.”

“I begin to understand,” I said, as he paused.  “You came up here to get away from the woman.  But this woman—­her husband—­”

For the first time since I had known him I saw a flash of anger leap into Thornton’s face.  He struck his hand against the rock.

“Her husband was a scoundrel, a brute, who came home from his club drunk, a cheap money-spender, a man who wasn’t fit to wipe the mud from her little feet, much less call her wife!  He ought to have been shot.  I can see it, now; and—­well, I might as well tell you.  I’m going back to her!”

“You are?” I cried.  “Has she got a divorce?  Is her husband still living?”

“No, she hasn’t got a divorce, and her husband is still living; but for all that, we’ve arranged it.  Those were her letters I’ve been reading, and she’ll be at Prince Albert waiting for me on the 15th—­three days from now.  We shall be a little late, and that’s why I’m hustling so.  I’ve kept away from her for two years, but I can’t do it any longer—­and she says that if I do she’ll kill herself.  So there you have it.  She’s the sweetest, most beautiful girl in the whole world—­eyes the color of those blue flowers you have up here, brown hair, and—­but you’ve got to see her when we reach Prince Albert.  You won’t blame me for doing all this, then!”

I had nothing to say.  At my silence he turned toward me suddenly, with that happy smile of his, and said again: 

“I tell you that you won’t blame me when you see her.  You’ll envy me, and you’ll call me a confounded fool for staying away so long.  It has been terribly hard for both of us.  I’ll wager that she’s no sleepier than I am to-night, just from knowing that I’m hurrying to her.”

“You’re pretty confident,” I could not help sneering.  “I don’t believe I’d wager much on such a woman.  To be frank with you, Thornton, I don’t care to meet her, so I’ll decline your invitation.  I’ve a little wife of my own, as true as steel, and I’d rather keep out of an affair like this.  You understand?”