“Ah, my charming creature,” he thought, “with you it was only, ‘What will become of me?’ I might not have found out until it was too late the relative importance of ‘me’ in the universe had we not struck this bad crossing; and one comes to plenty of bad places to cross in a lifetime.”

The area of thin ice was not very narrow, and he was becoming but a dim and shadowy outline to the girls.  Lottie was now screaming for his return.  Having crossed the overflowed space and absolutely assured himself that there was no danger, he returned more rapidly and found Carrie trying to calm her companion.

“Oh,” sobbed Lottie, “my feet are wet and almost frozen.  The ice underneath may have borne you, but it won’t bear all three of us.  Oh, dear, I wish I hadn’t—­I wish I was home; and I feel as if I’d never get there.”

“Miss Lottie, I assure you that the ice will hold a ton, but I’ll tell you what I’ll do.  I shall put you in the sleigh, and Miss Carrie will drive you over.  You two together do not weigh much more than I do.  I’ll walk just behind you with my hands on the back of the sleigh, and if I see the slightest danger I’ll lift you out of the sleigh first and carry you to safety.”

This proposition promised so well that she hesitated, and he lifted her in instantly before she could change her mind, then helped Carrie in with a quiet pressure of the hand, as much as to say, “I shall depend on you.”

“But, Mr. Marstern, you’ll get your feet wet,” protested Carrie.

“That doesn’t matter,” he replied good-naturedly.  “I shall be no worse off than Miss Lottie, and I’m determined to convince her of safety.  Now go straight ahead as I direct.”

Once the horse stumbled, and Lottie thought he was going down head first.  “Oh, lift me out, quick, quick!” she cried.

“Yes, indeed I will, Miss Lottie, as soon as we are opposite that grate fire of yours.”

They were soon safely over, and within a half-hour reached Lottie’s home.  It was evident she was a little ashamed of her behavior, and she made some effort to retrieve herself.  But she was cold and miserable, vexed with herself and still more vexed with Marstern.  That a latent sense of justice forbade the latter feeling only irritated her the more.  Individuals as well as communities must have scapegoats; and it is not an unusual impulse on the part of some to blame and dislike those before whom they have humiliated themselves.

She gave her companions a rather formal invitation to come in and get warm before proceeding further; but Marstern said very politely that he thought it was too late, unless Miss Carrie was cold.  Carrie protested that she was not so cold but that she could easily wait till she reached her own fireside.

“Well, good-night, then,” and the door was shut a trifle emphatically.

“Mr. Marstern,” said Carrie, sympathetically, “your feet must be very cold and wet after splashing through all that ice-water.”