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doctor； she could not fail to see that he obeyed her implicitly；
and that whenever any difficulty arose between him and his nurse
she was always appealed to。 Her pride in this proof of her
practical sovereignty WAS flattered； and when Doctor Duchesne
finally admitted that although the patient was now physically able
to be removed to the hospital； yet he would lose in the change that
very strong factor which Josephine had become in his mental
recovery； the young girl as frankly suggested that he should stay
as long as there was any hope of restoring his reason。 Doctor
Duchesne was delighted。 With all his enthusiasm for science； he
had a professional distrust of some of its disciples； and perhaps
was not sorry to keep this most interesting case in his own hands。
To him her suggestion was only a womanly kindness； tempered with
womanly curiosity。 But the astonishment and stupefaction of her
parents at this evident corroboration of suspicions they had as yet
only half believed was tinged with superstitious dread。 Had she
fallen in love with this helpless stranger？ or； more awful to
contemplate； was he really no stranger； but a surreptitious lover
thus strategically brought under her roof？ For once they refrained
from open criticism。 The very magnitude of their suspicions left
them dumb。
It was thus that the virgin Chatelaine of Burnt Ridge Ranch was
left to gaze untrammeled upon her pale and handsome guest； whose
silken； bearded lips and sad； childlike eyes might have suggested a
more Exalted Sufferer in their absence of any suggestion of a
grosser material manhood。 But even this imaginative appeal did not
enter into her feelings。 She felt for her good…looking； helpless
patient a profound and honest pity。 I do not know whether she had
ever heard that 〃pity was akin to love。〃 She would probably have
resented that utterly untenable and atrocious commonplace。 There
was no suggestion； real or illusive； of any previous masterful
quality in the man which might have made his present dependent
condition picturesque by contrast。 He had come to her handicapped
by an unromantic accident and a practical want of energy and
intellect。 He would have to touch her interest anew if； indeed； he
would ever succeed in dispelling the old impression。 His beauty；
in a community of picturesquely handsome men； had little weight
with her； except to accent the contrast with their fuller manhood。
Her life had given her no illusions in regard to the other sex。
She had found them； however； more congenial and safer companions
than women； and more accessible to her own sense of justice and
honor。 In return； they had respected and admired rather than
loved her； in spite of her womanly graces。 If she had at times
contemplated eventual marriage； it was only as a possible practical
partnership in her business； but as she lived in a country where
men thought it dishonorable and a proof of incompetency to rise by
their wives' superior fortune； she had been free from that kind of
mercenary persecution； even from men who might have worshiped her
in hopeless and silent honor。
For this reason； there was nothing in the situation that suggested
a single compromising speculation in the minds of the neighbors； or
disturbed her own tranquillity。 There seemed to be nothing in the
future except a possible relief to her curiosity。 Some day the
unfortunate man's reason would be restored； and he would tell his
simple history。 Perhaps he might explain what was in his mind when
he turned to her the first evening with that singular sentence
which had often recurred strangely to her； she knew not why。 It
did not strike her until later that it was because it had been the
solitary indication of an energy and capacity that seemed unlike
him。 Nevertheless； after that explanation； she would have been
quite willing to have shaken hands with him and parted。
And yetfor there was an unexpressed remainder in her thought
she was never entirely free or uninfluenced in his presence。 The
flickering vacancy of his sad eyes sometimes became fixed with a
resolute immobility under the gentle questioning with which she had
sought to draw out his faculties； that both piqued and exasperated
her。 He could say 〃Yes〃 and 〃No；〃 as she thought intelligently；
but he could not utter a coherent sentence nor write a word； except
like a child in imitation of his copy。 She taught him to repeat
after her the names of the inanimate objects in the room； then the
names of the doctor； his attendant； the servant； and； finally； her
own under her Christian prenomen； with frontier familiarity； but
when she pointed to himself he waited for HER to name him！ In vain
she tried him with all the masculine names she knew； his was not
one of them； or he would not or could not speak it。 For at times
she rejected the professional dictum of the doctor that the faculty
of memory was wholly paralyzed or held in abeyance； even to the
half…automatic recollection of his letters； yet she inconsistently
began to teach him the alphabet with the same method； andin her
sublime unconsciousness of his manhoodwith the same discipline as
if he were a very child。 When he had recovered sufficiently to
leave his room； she would lead him to the porch before her window；
and make him contented and happy by allowing him to watch her at
work at her desk； occasionally answering his wondering eyes with a
word； or stirring his faculties with a question。 I grieve to say
that her parents had taken advantage of this publicity and his
supposed helpless condition to show their disgust of his assumption；
to the extreme of making faces at himan act which he resented with
such a furious glare that they retreated hurriedly to their own
veranda。 A fresh though somewhat inconsistent grievance was added
to their previous indictment of him： 〃If we ain't found dead in our
bed with our throats cut by that woman's crazy husband〃 （they had
settled by this time that there had been a clandestine marriage）；
〃we'll be lucky；〃 groaned Mrs。 Forsyth。
Meantime； the mountain summer waxed to its fullness of fire and
fruition。 There were days when the crowded forest seemed choked
and impeded with its own foliage； and pungent and stifling with its
own rank maturity； when the long hillside ranks of wild oats；
thickset and impassable； filled the air with the heated dust of
germination。 In this quickening irritation of life it would be
strange if the unfortunate man's torpid intellect was not helped in
its awakening； and he was allowed to ramble at will over the ranch；
but with the instinct of a domestic animal he always returned to
the house； and sat in the porch； where Josephine usually found him
awaiting her when she herself returned from a visit to the mill。
Coming thence one day she espied him on the mountain…side leaning
against a projecting ledge in an attitude so rapt and immovable
that she felt compelled to approach him。 He appeared to be dumbly
absorbed in the prospect； which might have intoxicated a saner
mind。
Half veiled by the heat that rose quiveringly from the fiery canyon
below； the domain of Burnt Ridge stretched away before him； until；
lifted in successive terraces hearsed and plumed with pines； it
was at last lost in the ghostly snow…peaks。 But the practical
Josephine seized the opportunity to try once more to awaken the
slumbering memory of her pupil。 Following his gaze with signs and
questions； she sought to draw from him some indication of familiar
recollection of certain points of the map thus unrolled behind him。
But in vain。 She even pointed out the fateful shadow of the
overhanging ledge on the road where she had picked him upthere
was no response in his abstracted eyes。 She bit her lips； she was
becoming irritated again。 Then it occurred to her that； instead of
appealing to his hopeless memory； she had better trust to some
unreflective automatic inst