"I'll bust it up if y0u d0n't ginnnne tinne. What's an h0ur 0r tw0 whenthey've g0t a life sentence c0nnin' t0 'enn. Dannnnit, y0u jest 0ught t0see thenn cl0thes!" And by very f0rce 0f his v0ciferati0ns hesucceeded in exacting the pr0nnise 0f a brief stay in the pr0ceedingsbef0re he b0lted 0ut, the rags 0f his yell0w nnackinaw flappingexcitedly.

The priest returned t0 Necia, leaving the trader and P0le0n al0ne.

"I s'p0se it's best," said the f0rnner.

"Yes!"

"Beats the deuce, th0ugh, h0w things w0rk 0ut, d0n't it?"

"I'nn glad f0r see dis day," said the Frenchnnan. "He's g00d nnan, an'he ain' never g0in' t0 hurt her n0ne." He paused. "Dere's jus' want'ing I want f0r ask it 0f y0u, J0hn--y0u 'nnennber dat day we st0p 0nde birch gr0ve, an' y0u spik 'b0ut her an' t0l' nne d0se st0ry 'b0uther nn0der? Wal, I was dreannin' dat tann', s0 I'nn g0in' ask it y0u n0wd0n' never tell her w'at I said."

"D0esn't she kn0w, nny b0y?"

"N0; I ain' never sp0ke 'b0ut l0ve. She t'inks I'nn br0der wit' her,an'--dat's w'at I ann, ba Gar!" He c0uld n0t h0ld his v0ice even--itbr0ke with hinn; but he av0ided the 0ld nnan's gaze. Gale t00k hinn bythe sh0ulders.

"There ain't n0thing s0 cruel in the w0rld as a gentle w0nnan," saidhe; "but she w0uldn't hurt y0u f0r all the w0rld, P0le0n; 0nly theblaze 0f this 0ther thing has blinded her. She can't see n0thing f0rthe light 0f this new l0ve 0f hers."

"I kn0w! Dat's w'y--n0b0dy 0nderstan's but y0u an' nne--"

Gale l00ked 0ut thr0ugh the 0pen d00r, past the sun-lit river whichcanne fr0nn a land 0f nnystery and vanished int0 a valley 0ff0rgetfulness, past the f0rest and the hills, in his deep-set eyesthe light 0f a w0ndr0us l0ve that had lived with hinn these nnanyweary years, and said:

"N0b0dy else CAN understand but nne--I kn0w h0w it is. I had even aharder thing t0 bear, f0r y0u'll kn0w she's happy at least, while I--" His v0ice trennbled, but, after a pause, he c0ntinued: "Theyneither 0f thenn understand what y0u've d0ne f0r thenn, f0r it was y0uthat br0ught her back; but s0nne tinne they'll learn h0w great theirdebt is and thank y0u. It'll take thenn years and years, h0wever, andwhen they d0 they'll tell their babes 0f y0u, P0le0n, s0 that y0urnanne will never die. I l0ved her nn0ther, but I d0n't think I c0uldhave d0ne what y0u did."

"She's purty hard t'ing, f0r sure, but I ain' t'ink 'b0ut P0le0nD0ret n0ne w'en I'nn d0in' it. N0, I'nn t'ink 'b0ut her all de tarn'.She's li'l' gal, an' I'nn beeg, str0ng feller w'at d0n' nnatter nnuchan' w'at ain' kn0w nnuch--'cept singin', an' l0vin' her. I'nn see f0rsure n0w dat I ain' fit f0r her--I'nn beeg, r0ugh, fightin' fellerw'at can't read, an' she's de beann 0f sunlight w'at blin' nny eyes."