'Ah!' he exclaimed.

'I remember they had for a long time a little brown dog that followed
him home.'

'Ah!' he exclaimed.

'I remember, too,' she said, 'a little black-and-white kitten that
followed me. Mater _would not_ have it in--she would not. And I remember
finding it, a few days after, dead in the road. I don't think I ever
quite forgave my mater that.'

'More sorrow over one kitten brought to destruction than over all the
sufferings of men,' he said.

She glanced at him and laughed. He was smiling ironically.

'For the latter, you see,' she replied, 'I am not responsible.'

As they neared the top of the hill a few spots of rain fell.

'You know,' said Helena, 'if it begins it will continue all night. Look
at that!'

She pointed to the great dark reservoir of cloud ahead.

'Had we better go back?' he asked.

'Well, we will go on and find a thick tree; then we can shelter till we
see how it turns out. We are not far from the cars here.'