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"Things have changed since Vibbard went away," he said. "Yes, yes; very much. I used to think it was he who ought to love her." "And you have found out " I began. He laid his hand quickly on my arm. "Yes, I have found that it is I who love her eternally, truly! But don't tell any one of this; it seems to me strange that I should speak of it, even to you. I cannot ask her to marry me yet.
The man, a stranger with strong features and thick beard, halted at once and looked at her silently, as if he had forgotten to speak, but with a degree of homage that dispelled everything like alarm. She stood still, looking at him as earnestly as he at her. Then, she hardly knew how, a conviction came to her. "Mr. Vibbard?" she said, in a low inquiring tone. To herself she whispered, "Six years!"
Silverthorn, reaching his room in an hour after Vibbard had left it, was not at first surprised at his absence. Afterward he grew anxious; he went out, ran all the way to Winwood's house, and came back, hoping to find that his friend had returned while he was searching for him.
"No," said I. "Do you come often?" They looked at each other confidentially. "We have, lately," Vibbard admitted. "Then perhaps you can tell me who that girl is that I just passed." "Oh, yes," said Silverthorn, at once. "That's Ida Winwood, the daughter of the superintendent here at the mills." "She is a very striking girl," I said. "You know her, of course?" "A little."
"Indeed I know it, old boy," said Vibbard, heartily. He rose, came to his old college-mate and took hold of his disengaged arm with both hands, affectionately. "Look here," he added; "there's been something queer and dismal about seeing each other, after such a long interval, something awkward about this settlement between us. If I've done anything to hurt your feelings, Thorny, I'm sorry.
Vibbard, however, seemed to enjoy being admonished by Silverthorn, and resumed his seat quite meekly. To me, in my balancing frame of mind, it occurred that one might go farther than Silverthorn had done, in saying that any advantage to Vibbard was very improbable; one might assume that it was surely Silverthorn who would reap the profit.
"I will," returned Vibbard, with a touch of that fierceness which marked his resolute moods. "Thorny and I have agreed to stand by each other when we quit college. Men are always forming friendships in the beginning of life, and then getting dragged apart by circumstances, such as wide separation and different interests.
Vibbard, struggling with remorse, uncertainty, and a dimly returning hope, brought himself to speak once more, hesitatingly. "What did she say?" "At first she would not tolerate my proposal. I saw there was a conflict in her mind. Something warned me what it was, yet I could not help fancying that she might really be unwilling to give me up.
He gained the spot in time, and appeared to be walking up from the mill, when he encountered his old comrade going sturdily toward it. Nevertheless, he felt uncomfortable at the deception he was using. They greeted each other warmly, yet each felt a constraint that surprised him. Vibbard explained how he had come. "And I have seen Ida," he exclaimed impetuously, with a glow of pleasure.
On the instant there came into his unmoved eyes and his matter-of-fact countenance a look of sentiment so incongruous as to be almost laughable. "I wish I could have done it, Thorny," said he, wistfully. "Hold on, Vibbard," I interposed. "Don't be discouraged." He paid no attention. Upon this Silverthorn fired up. "Hullo, Bill, this won't do!
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