What they talked of during the next hour I never knew, but when Ireturned to the room Lady Charlotte was reading slowly and with perplexed face to Gwen out of her mother's Bible the words "for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor.""You see even for Him, suffering," Gwen said eagerly, "but I can't explain.The Pilot will make it clear." Then the talk ended.
We had lunch with Gwen--bannocks and fresh sweet milk and blueberries--and after an hour of gay fun we came away.
Lady Charlotte kissed her tenderly as she bade Gwen good-by.
"You must let me come again and sit at your window," she said, smiling down upon the wan face.
"Oh, I shall watch for you.How good that will be!" cried Gwen, delightedly."How many come to see me! You make five." Then she added, softly: "You will write your letter." But Lady Charlotte shook her head.
"I can't do that, I fear," she said, "but I shall think of it."It was a bright face that looked out upon us through the open window as we rode down the trail.Just before we took the dip into the canyon, I turned to wave my hand.
"Gwen's friends always wave from here," I said, wheeling my bronco.
Again and again Lady Charlotte waved her handkerchief.
"How beautiful, but how wonderful!" she said as if to herself.
"Truly, HER canyon is full of flowers."
"It is quite beyond me," I answered."The Pilot may explain.""Is there anything your Pilot can't do?" said Lady Charlotte.
"Try him," I ventured.
"I mean to," she replied, "but I cannot bring anyone to my canyon, I fear," she added in an uncertain voice.
As I left her at her door she thanked me with courteous grace.
"You have done a great deal for me," she said, giving me her hand.
"It has been a beautiful, a wonderful day."When I told the Pilot all the day's doings, he burst out:
"What a stupid and self-righteous fool I have been! I never thought there could be any canyon in her life.How short our sight is!" and all that night I could get almost no words from him.
That was the first of many visits to Gwen.Not a week passed but Lady Charlotte took the trail to the Meredith ranch and spent an hour at Gwen's window.Often The Pilot found her there.But though they were always pleasant hours to him, he would come home in great trouble about Lady Charlotte.
"She is perfectly charming and doing Gwen no end of good, but she is proud as an archangel.Has had an awful break with her family at home, and it is spoiling her life.She told me so much, but she will allow no one to touch the affair."But one day we met her riding toward the village.As we drew near, she drew up her horse and held up a letter.
"Home!" she said."I wrote it to-day, and I must get it off immediately."The Pilot understood her at once, but he only said:
"Good!" but with such emphasis that we both laughed.
"Yes, I hope so," she said with the red beginning to show in her cheek."I have dropped some seed into my canyon.""I think I see the flowers beginning to spring," said The Pilot.
She shook her head doubtfully and replied:
"I shall ride up and sit with Gwen at her window.""Do," replied The Pilot, "the light is good there.Wonderful things are to be seen through Gwen's window.""Yes," said Lady Charlotte softly."Dear Gwen!--but I fear it is often made bright with tears."As she spoke she wheeled her horse and cantered off, for her own tears were not far away.I followed her in thought up the trail winding through the round-topped hills and down through the golden lights of the canyon and into Gwen's room.I could see the pale face, with its golden aureole, light up and glow, as they sat before the window while Lady Charlotte would tell her how Gwen's Canyon looked to-day and how in her own bleak canyon there was the sign of flowers.
