he think the patient she had been conversing with could be removed
from the hospital with safety？ Did Mrs。 Argalls mean 〃far？〃 Mrs。
Argalls meant as far as THATtendering her card and eminently
respectable address。 Ah！perhaps in a week。 Not before？ Perhaps
before； unless complications ensued； the patient had been much run
down physically； though； as Mrs。 Argalls had probably noticed； he
was singularly strong in nervous will force。 Mrs。 Argalls HAD
noticed it； and considered it an extraordinary case of conviction
worthy of the closest watching and care。 When he was able to be
moved she would send her own carriage and her own physician to
superintend his transfer。 In the mean time he was to want for
nothing。 Certainly； he had given very little trouble； and； in
fact； wanted very little。 Just now he had only asked for paper；
pens； and ink。
CHAPTER VIII。
As Mrs。 Argalls's carriage rolled into Fifth Avenue； it for a
moment narrowly grazed another carriage； loaded with luggage；
driving up to a hotel。 The abstracted traveler within it was Paul
Hathaway； who had returned from Europe that morning。
Paul entered the hotel； and； going to the register mechanically；
turned its leaves for the previous arrivals； with the same hopeless
patience that had for the last six weeks accompanied this habitual
preliminary performance on his arrival at the principal European
hotels。 For he had lost all trace of Yerba； Pendleton； Milly； and
the Briones from the day of their departure。 The entire party
seemed to have separated at Basle； and； in that eight…hours' start
they had of him； to have disappeared to the four cardinal points。
He had lingered a few days in London to transact some business； he
would linger a few days longer in New York before returning to San
Francisco。
The daily papers already contained his name in the list of the
steamer passengers who arrived that morning。 It might meet HER
eye； although he had been haunted during the voyage by a terrible
fancy that she was still in Europe； and had either hidden herself
in some obscure provincial town with the half…crazy Pendleton； or
had entered a convent； or even； in reckless despair； had accepted
the name and title of some penniless nobleman。 It was this
miserable doubt that had made his homeward journey at times seem
like a cruel desertion of her； while at other moments the
conviction that Milly's Californian relatives might give him some
clew to her whereabouts made him feverishly fearful of delaying an
hour on his way to San Francisco。 He did not believe that she had
tolerated the company of Briones a single moment after the scene at
the Bad Hof； and yet he had no confidence in the colonel's attitude
towards the Mexican。 Hopeless of the future as her letter seemed；
still its naive and tacit confession of her feelings at the moment
was all that sustained him。
Two days passed； and he still lingered aimlessly in New York。 In
two days more the Panama steamer would sailyet in his hesitation
he had put off securing his passage。 He visited the offices of the
different European steamer lines； and examined the recent passenger
lists； but there was no record of any of the party。 What made his
quest seem the more hopeless was his belief that； after Briones'
revelation； she had cast off the name of Arguello and taken some
other。 She might even be in New York under that new name now。
On the morning of the third day； among his letters was one that
bore the postmark of a noted suburban settlement of wealthy villa…
owners on the Hudson River。 It was from Milly Woods； stating that
her father had read of his arrival in the papers； and begged he
would dine and stay the next night with them at 〃Under Cliff；〃 if
he 〃still had any interest in the fortunes of old friends。 Of
course；〃 added the perennially incoherent Milly； 〃if it bores you
we sha'n't expect you。〃 The quick color came to Paul's careworn
cheek。 He telegraphed assent； and at sunset that afternoon stepped
off the train at a little private woodland stationso abnormally
rustic and picturesque in its brown…bark walls covered with scarlet
Virginia creepers that it looked like a theatrical erection。
Mr。 Woods's station wagon was in waiting； but Paul； handing the
driver his valise； and ascertaining the general direction of the
house； and that it was not far distant； told him to go on and he
would follow afoot。 The tremor of vague anticipation had already
come upon him； something that he knew not whether he feared or
longed for； only that it was inevitable； had begun to possess him。
He would soon recover himself in the flaring glory of this
woodland； and the invigoration of this hale October air。
It was a beautiful and brilliant sunset； yet not so beautiful and
brilliant but that the whole opulent forest around him seemed to
challenge and repeat its richest as well as its most delicate dyes。
The reddening west； seen through an opening of scarlet maples； was
no longer red； the golden glory of the sun； sinking over a
promontory of gleaming yellow sumach that jutted out into the noble
river； was shorn of its intense radiance； at times in the thickest
woods he seemed surrounded by a yellow nimbus； at times so luminous
was the glow of these translucent leaves that the position of the
sun itself seemed changed； or the shadows cast in defiance of its
glory。 As he walked on； long reaches of the lordly placid stream
at his side were visible； as far as the terraces of the opposite
shore； lifted on basaltic columns； themselves streaked and veined
with gold and fire。 Paul had seen nothing like this since his
boyhood； for an instant the great heroics of the Sierran landscape
were forgotten in this magnificent harlequinade。
A dim footpath crossed the road in the direction of the house；
which for the last few moments had been slowly etching itself as a
soft vignette in a tinted aureole of walnut and maple upon the
steel blue of the river。 He was hesitating whether to take this
short cut or continue on by the road； when he heard the rustling of
quick footsteps among the fallen leaves of the variegated thicket
through which it stole。 He stopped short； the leafy screen
shivered and parted； and a tall graceful figure； like a draped and
hidden Columbine； burst through its painted foliage。 It was Yerba！
She ran quickly towards him； with parted lips； shining eyes； and a
few scarlet leaves clinging to the stuff of her worsted dress in a
way that recalled the pink petals of Rosario。
〃When I saw you were not in the wagon and knew you were walking I
slipped out to intercept you； as I had something to tell you before
you saw the others。 I thought you wouldn't mind。〃 She stopped；
and suddenly hesitated。
What was this new strange shyness that seemed to droop her eyelids；
her proud head； and even the slim hand that had been so impulsively
and frankly outstretched towards him？ And hePaulwhat was he
doing？ Where was this passionate outburst that had filled his
heart for nights and days？ Where this eager tumultuous questioning
that his feverish lips had rehearsed hour by hour？ Where this
desperate courage that would sweep the whole world away if it stood
between them？ Where； indeed？ He was standing only a few feet from
hercold； silent； and tremulous！
She drew back a step； lifted her head with a quick toss that seemed
to condense the moisture in her shining eyes； and sent what might
have been a glittering dew…drop flying into the loosed tendrils of
her hair。 Calm and erect again； she put her little hand to her
jacket pocket。
〃I only wanted you to read a letter I got yesterday；〃 she said；
taking out an envelope。
The spell was broken。 Paul caught eagerly at the hand that held
the letter； and would have drawn her to him； but she put him aside
gravely but sweetly。
〃Read that letter！〃
〃Tell me of YOURSELF first！〃 he broke out passionately。 〃Why you
fled from me； and why I now find you here； by the merest chance；
without a word of summons from yourself； Yerba？ Tell me who is
with you？ Are you free and your own mistressfree to act for
yourself and me？ Speak； darlingdon't be cruel！ Since that night
I have longed for you； sought for you； and suffered for you every
day and hour。 Tell me if I find you the same Yerba who wrote〃
〃Read that letter！〃
〃I care for none but the one you left me。 I have read and reread
it； Yerbacarried it always with me。 See！ I have it here！〃 He
was in the act of withdrawing it from his breast…pocket； when she
put up her hand piteously。
〃Please； Paul； pleaseread this letter first！〃
There was something in her new supplicating grace； still retaining
the faintest suggestion of her old girlish archness； that struck
him。 He took the letter and opened it。 It was from Colonel
Pendleton。
Plainly； concisely； and formally； without giving the name of his
authority or suggesting his interview with Mrs。 Argalls； he had
informed Yerba that he had documentary testimony that she was the
daughter of the late Jose de Arguello； and legally entitled to bear
his name。 A copy of the instructions given to his wife；
recognizing Yerba Buena； the ward of the San Francisco Trust； as
his child and hers； and leaving to the mother the choice of making
it known to her and others； was inclosed。
Paul turned an unchanged face upon Yerba； who was watching him
eagerly； uneasily； almost breathlessly。
〃And you think this concerns ME！〃 he said bitterly。 〃You think
only of this； when I speak of the precious letter that bade me
hope； and brought me to you？〃
〃Paul；〃 said the girl； with wondering eyes and hesitating lips； 〃do
you mean to say thatthatthis isnothing to you？〃
〃Yesbut forgive me； darling！〃 he broke out again； with a sudden
vague remorsefulness； as he once more sought her elusive hand。 〃I
am a brutean egotist！ I forgot that it might be something to
YOU。〃
〃Paul；〃 continued the girl； her voice quivering with a strange joy；
〃do you say that youYOU yourself； care nothing for this？〃
〃Nothing；〃 he answered； gazing at her transfigured face with
admiring wonder。
〃And〃more timidly； as a faint aurora kindled in her checks〃that
you don't carethatthatI am