"  I  can  easily  carry  you,  and  you  are  too  weak  to
walk."

"  Don't  touch  me  !"  exclaimed  the  child,  shrinking
away.  "  You  have  no  right.  Why  do  you  follow  me  ?"

"  Do  you  wish  to  die  here  without  help  ?"  asked
Greyburn.  And  the  boy  answered,  in  a  whisper  :

"Yes."

"  But  I  cannot  let  you  !"  cried  the  other.  "  When  I
was  badly  hurt  you  saved  my  life.  It  would  be  a
poor  return  were  I  to  leave  you  in  this  condition."

"  You  d  care  !"  No  words  can  express  the  irony  of
this  remark  or  the  look  which  accompanied  it.
"  Certainly  I  should  care,  and  very  much.  I  have
become  greatly  attached  to  you  and  feel  that  I  owe
you  more  than  I  can  ever  repay.  I  have  no  friend
left  but  you,  and  now  you  would  desert  me."

The  lad  looked  incredulously  at  the  face  which
bent  above  him.
"  The  pretty  lady  whom  you  call  your  wife — are
you  going  to  leave  her  ?"


246  THOU   SHALT  NOT.
'•  She  does  not  love  me,"  said  Greyburn,  choking
down  a  rising  in  his  throat.  "  I  am  not  good  enough
for  her.  She  is  an  angel,  I  a  poor  ordinary  mortal."

There  was  no  mistaking  that  he  meant  what  he  said.
The  boy  eyed  him  narrowly  and  seemed  to  relent  a
little.
"  What  relation  shall  we  bear  to  each  other  if  I  go
with  you  ?"  he  said.
"  Whatever  you  please,"  replied  the  man.  "  I  want
you  as  a  companion,  a  friend."

"  Make  me  a  servant  and  I  will  go,"  said  the  boy.
