“If a bell kin ring then a welkin ring,” returned Jo nonsensically.
“You are so silly. I don’t know any more than I did before,” complained Jean.
“That’s because you don’t understand poetry,” replied Jo loftily. Then some one struck up, “Wait for the wagon!” and immediately the welkin did ring very tunefully. Effie was leading soprano, Nan sang alto, Dr. Paul bass, Ran came in with a good tenor. Hartley tried sometimes one thing, sometimes another, and the rest did the best they could.
“I knew you had a voice,” whispered Mr. Wells to Nan.
“I didn’t discover yours,” she returned laughing.
What had suddenly changed her? “It is not your wont, star-lady, to cast reflections upon your unworthy slaves.”
“What does a star do if it doesn’t cast reflections?” demanded Nan. And then some one began to sing their camping song so there was no more chance for talk between any two, and at parting Nan was as nonchalantly gay as any one.
“Put not your trust in princes,” she said to herself as she laid her head on her pillow. “I don’t think any one could have discovered any surplus amount of trust in my manner to-night.” But she could not find it in her heart to harbor resentment against her old friend who had always been so kind, and it was not really anger that she felt, but the natural withdrawing of herself from the notice of one who had surprised her secret, who had lifted the curtain unannounced. What a good long talk they had had before that. It was always so. Heretofore she had never been more at ease with any one than with Dr. Paul, but from henceforth she feared there would be restraint. She was sorry, for they had been such good friends. She recalled his many acts of kindness. Why had he tried to intrude upon her fair thoughts? Why make the blunder of convicting her with sentiments she had scarce confessed to herself? It was too bad, too bad. Yet however she might resent his speech, from this time out Nan gave heed to Dr. Paul’s warning, at least outwardly. The dream-maiden was resolved into the “star-lady,” so Marcus Wells took occasion to tell her whenever they met.
