"Here am I."

"Oh, I knew where you were. Don't do that again, sir, please, or you'll catch it."

"Oh, I didn't think you saw me," said David, somewhat confusedly.

"What has that to do with it, stupid? David," continued she, a.s.suming a benevolent, cheerful, and somewhat magnificent nonchalance, "I sometimes wonder you don't come to me with your troubles. I might advise you as well as here and there one. But perhaps you think now, because I am naturally gay, I am not sensible. You mustn't go by that altogether. Manner is very deceiving. The most foolishly conducted men and women ever I met were as grave as judges, and as demure as cats after cream. Bless you, there is folly in every heart. Your slow ones bottle it up for use against the day wisdom shall be most needed. My sort let it fizz out at their mouths in their daily talk, and keep their good sense for great occasions, like the present."

"Have we drifted among the proverbs of Solomon?" inquired David, dryly. "No need to make so many tacks, Eve. Haven't I seen your sense and profited by it--I and one or two more? Who but you has steered the house this ten years, and commanded the lubberly crew?"*

* The reader must not be misled by the familiar phraseology of these two speakers to suppose that anything the least droll or humorous was intended by either of them at any part of this singular dialogue. Their hearts were sad and their faces grave.

"And then again, David, where the heart is concerned, young women are naturally in advance of young men."

"G.o.d knows. He made them both. I don't."

"Why, all the world knows it. And then, besides, I am five years older than you.

"So mother says; but I don't know how to believe it. No one would say so to look at you."

"I'll tell you, David. Folk that have small features look a deal younger than their years; and you know poor father used to say my face was the pattern of a flat-iron. So n.o.body gives me my age; but I am five good years older than you, only you needn't go and tell the town crier."

"Well, Eve?"

"Well, then, put all these together, and now, why not come to me for friendly advice and the voice of reason?"

"Reason! reason! there are other lights besides reason."

"Jack-o'-lantern, eh? and Will-o'-the-wisp."

"Eve, n.o.body can advise me that can't feel for me. n.o.body can feel for me that doesn't know my pain; and you don't know that, because you were never in love."

"Oh, then, if I had ever been in love, you would listen."

"As I would to an angel from Heaven."

"And be advised by me."

"Why not? for then you'd be competent to advise; but now you haven't an idea what you are talking about."

"What a pity! Don't you think it would be as well if you were not to speak to me so sulky?"

"I ask your pardon; Eve. I did not mean to offend you."

"Davy, dear--for G.o.d's sake what is this chill that has come between you and me? You are a man. Speak out like a man."

David turned his great calm, sorrowful eye full upon her.

"Well, then, Eve, if the truth must be told, I am disappointed in you."

"Oh, David."

"A little. You are not the girl I took you for. You know which way my fancy lies, yet you keep steering me in the teeth of it; then you see how down-hearted I am this while, but not a word of comfort or hope comes from you, and me almost dried up for want of one."

"Make one word of it, David--I am not a sister to you."

"I don't say that, but you might be kinder; you are against me just when I want you with me the most."

"Now this is what I like," said Eve, cheerfully; "this is plain speaking. So now it is my turn, my lad. Do you remember Balaam and his a.s.s?"

"Sure," said David; but, used as he was to Eve's transitions, he couldn't help staring a little at being carried eastward ho so suddenly.

"Then what did the a.s.s say when she broke silence at last?"

"Well, you know, Eve; I take shame to say I don't remember her very words, but the tune of them I do. Why, she sang out, 'Avast there! it is first fault, so you needn't be so hasty with your thundering rope's end."'

"There! You'd make a nice commentator. You haven't taken it up one bit; you are as much in the dark as our parson. He preached on her the very Sunday you came home, and it was all I could do to help whipping up into the pulpit, and s.n.a.t.c.hing away his book, and letting daylight in on them."

David was scandalized at the very idea of such a breach of discipline.

"That is ridiculous," said he; "one can't have two skippers in a church any more than in a ship, brig, or bark. But you can let daylight in on me."

"I mean. To begin: the a.s.s was in the right and Balaam in the wrong; so what becomes of your 'first fault?' She was frugal of her words, but every syllable was a needle; the worst is, some skins are so thick our needles won't enter 'em. Says she, 'This seven years you have known me; always true to the bridle and true to you. Did ever I disobey you before? Then why go and fancy I do it without some great cause that you can't see?' Then the man's eyes were open, and he saw it was destruction his old friend had run back from, and galled his foot to save his life; so of course he thanked her, and blessed her then. Not he. He was too much of a man."

"Ay, ay, I see; but what is the moral? for I have no heart to expound riddles."

"Oh, I'll tell you the moral sooner than you'll like, perhaps. The a.s.s is a type, David. In Holy Writ you know almost everything is a type.

When a thing means one thing and stands for another, that's a type."

"Ducks can swim--at least I've heard so. Now if you could tell me what she is a type of?"

"What, the a.s.s? Don't you know? Why, of women, to be sure--of us poor creatures of burden, underrated and misunderstood all the world over.

And Balaam he stands for men, and for you at the head of them," cried she, turning round with flashing eyes on David; "you have known me and my true affection more than seven years, or seventeen. I carried you in my arms when you were a year old and I was six. You were my little curly-headed darling, and have been from that day to this. Did ever I cross you, or be cold or unkind to you, till the other day?"

"No, Eve, no, no, no! Come sit beside me.

"Then shouldn't you have said, 'Don't s...o...b..r _me;_ I won't have it; you and I are bad friends.' Oughtn't you to have said, 'Eve could never give herself the pain of crossing me' (no, there isn't a man in the world with gumption enough to say that--that is a woman's thought); but at least you might have said, 'She sees rocks ahead that I can't.' (Balaam couldn't see the drawn sword ahead, but there it was.) it was for you to say, 'My sister Eve would not change from gay to grave all at once, and from indulging me in everything to thwarting me and vexing me, unless she saw some great danger threatening your peace of mind, your career in life, your very reason, perhaps.'"

"I have been to blame, Eve; but speak out and let me know the worst.

You have heard something against her character? Speak plain out, for Heaven's sake!"

"It is all very well of you to say speak plain out, but there are things girls don't like to speak about to any man. But after what you said, that you would listen to me if I--so it is my duty. You will see my face red enough in about a minute. Two years ago I couldn't have done this even for you. It is hard I must expose my own folly--my own crime."

"Why, Eve, la.s.s, how you tremble! Drop it now! drop it!"

"Hold your tongue!" said Eve, sharply, but in considerable agitation.

"It is too late now, after something you have said to me. If I didn't speak out now, I should be like that bad man you told us of, who let out the beacon light when the wind was blowing hard on sh.o.r.e. Listen, David, and take my words to heart. The road you are on now I have been upon, only I went much farther on it than you shall go." She resumed after a short pause: "You remember Henry d.y.k.e?"

"What, the young clergyman, who used to be always alongside you at our last anchorage?"

"Yes. He was just such a man as Miss Fountain is a woman. He was but a dish of skim-milk, yet he could poison my life."