I knelt there a full minute, but even to the luxury of grief I had not the right to surrender. So I rose abruptly. I took her hand, kissed it, held it for a moment in mine, and said:
"I shall not intrude on you again, Lydia; I love you consumedly, but I shall not intrude on you again."
And laying her hand gently upon her lap I turned abruptly and left the room.
Next day I left Tyringham.
Almost the entire population of the farm—save only Lydia, her mother, and the few farm hands necessary to care for the stock—and these last had their holiday later—repaired to New York. Most of them went to the building in which lived Anna's family. Ariston and I returned to our old quarters.
CHAPTER XIX
THE LEGISLATURE MEETS