One day it chanced that Mrs. Edwards who was sitting by the window,
said abruptly:
"Here comes that Hamlin fellow."
Desire sprang up with such an appearance of agitation that her mother
added:
"Don't be scared, child. He won't come in here. It's only into the
store he's coming."
She naturally presumed that it was terror which occasioned her
daughter's perturbation. What would have been her astonishment if she
could have followed the girl as she presently went up to her room, and
seen her cowering there by the window in the cold for a full half-hour,
so that she might through a rent in the curtain have a glimpse of Perez
as he left the store! I am not sure that I even do right in telling the
reader of this. Indeed her own pride did so revolt against her weakness
that she tingled scarcely less with shame than with cold as she knelt
there. Once or twice she did actually rise up and leave the window, and
start to go downstairs, saying that she was glad she had not seen him
yet, for she could still draw back with some self-respect. But even as
she was thus in the act of retiring, some noise of boots in the store
below suggesting that now he might be going out, brought her hurriedly
back to the window.
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