There was not a house
in the Cove that Helen had not visited, and she has made friends with
every last Tom, Dick and Harry in the place, and their wives and
children. I know that the women have appreciated her friendly interest in
their humble lives. Some little children were howling, possibly at the
prospect of being henceforth deprived of the sweets she has distributed
among them. All the fish-houses and the flakes were deserted, though it
was a fine drying day. The men came towards us, with slightly embarrassed
timidity, and I shook hands all around as they grinned at us and wished
us a good journey. They actually wanted to carry me down to the yacht.
So I took Helen's arm again, after declining their kind offers, and began
my slow descent to the cove.
My poor girl was walking very erect, and she often smiled at the people
who surrounded us. But I could see that it took the greatest effort on
her part. I'm sure she was impatient to be gone and wanted to shut
herself up in her stateroom. It was so hard, Jennie, to see the dear
child whose nature has ever been such a happy, cheery one, and who has
never seemed to have a moment's suffering in her life, give such evidence
of pain and sorrow.
It was at this moment, Jennie, that the suspicion entered my soul, that I
had been wrong in letting her enjoy so much of the society of this young
man, who is certainly a fine, attractive fellow when in his right mind.
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