Now
it would carry away horse and rider, should they attempt to ford it, and
the fields beyond were covered with water.
"I don't like these violent changes," said Amy. "Tennyson's brook, that
'goes on forever,' is more to my taste than one like this, that almost
stops, and then breaks out into a passionate, reckless torrent."
"It's the nature of this brook; you should not blame it," he answered.
"But see, it's falling rapidly already."
"Oh, certainly; nothing lasts," and she turned away abruptly.
"You are mistaken, sister Amy," he replied, with strong, quiet emphasis.
The early twilight deepened around them, and gloomy night came on apace,
but before Amy re-entered the house his unselfish efforts were rewarded.
Burt's threatened disloyalty apparently had lost its depressing
influence. Some subtile reassuring power had been at work, and the clouds
passed from her face, if not from the sky.
CHAPTER XLVI
FATHER AND DAUGHTER
That sombre day would ever be a memorable one to Miss Hargrove. Nature
seemed weeping passionately over the summer that had gone, with all its
wealth of beauty and life. She knew that her girlhood had gone with it.
She had cautioned her brother to say nothing of her escape on the
previous day, for she was too unnerved to go over the scene again that
night, and meet her father's questioning eyes. She wanted to be alone
first and face the truth; and this she had done in no spirit of weak
self-deception.
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