When she crossed the brook it seemed to be singing loudly:
"In the moment that is the happiest of your whole life I shall take my revenge."
The shadow of Gerald Huntington's vengeance was already upon her.
But on Ronald Valchester's love and happiness there fell no cloud from the near future.
To his ardent and poetic imagination life lay before him fair and lovely like a dream of summer.
Mr. Meredith came out and welcomed his niece's lover cordially, and after a brief conversation prudently retired into the house to the companionship of his wife and Dollie.
Mrs. Meredith, persuaded into amiability for once in her life by her husband, spread a dainty and neat-looking supper upon the table.
The lovers went through the form of eating, and then returned to the porch again where the air was spicy and sweet with the breath of late-blooming roses, and the new moon rose over the misty hills, smiling on these two lovers who were all the world to each other.
"This time to-morrow night you will be my bride," Ronald said to her fondly. "Then we will immediately take the train for Richmond. Oh! Lina, how often I have dreamed of that home-going. Often and often when I think of taking you with me, I recall the beautiful words in which Longfellow describes the home going of Hiawatha and his bride. Do you remember, Lina?"