'Oh, my dear Pierre, why should we always be longing for peace, and then be impatient of peace when it comes? Tell me, my brother! Not two hours ago, thou wert wishing for twilight, and now thou wantest a candle to hurry the twilight's last lingering away.'
But Pierre did not seem to hear her; his arm embraced her tighter; his whole frame was invisibly trembling. Then suddenly in a low tone of wonderful intensity he breathed:
'Isabel! Isabel!'
She caught one arm around him, as his was around herself; the tremor ran from him to her; both sat dumb.
He rose and paced the room.
'Well, Pierre; thou camest in here to arrange thy matters, thou saidst. Now what hast thou done? Come, we will light a candle now.'
The candle was lighted, and their talk went on.
'How about the papers, my brother? Dost thou find everything right? Hast thou decided upon what to publish first, while thou art writing the new thing thou didst hint of?'
'Look at that chest, my sister. Seest thou not that the cords are yet untied?'
'Then thou hast not been into it at all as yet?'
'Not at all, Isabel. In ten days I have lived ten thousand years. Forewarned now of the rubbish in that chest, I cannot summon the heart to open it. Trash! Dross! Dirt!'
'Pierre! Pierre! what change is this? Didst thou not tell me, ere we came hither, that thy chest not only contained some silver and gold, but likewise far more precious things, readily convertible into silver and gold? Ah, Pierre, thou didst swear we had naught to fear!'
'If I have ever wilfully deceived thee, Isabel, may the high gods prove Benedict Arnolds to me, and go over to the devils to reinforce them against me! But to have
