about noon
It was clear to him that no one must ever guess how dearly he loved her ; but he knew that it was far , far more essential that he , in his unworthiness , should not profane his own ideal . She was not for his touch , scarcely for his thoughts . The kiss which did not reach her lips burned into his soul instead , and cleansed it with its healing flame . Sylvia 's sprain , as Austin had suspected , proved much more serious than she had admitted , but when the village doctor came about noon to dress her ankle , she insisted that she was none the worse for her long exposure , and that if she must lie still on a lounge for two weeks , the least the family could do would be to humor her in everything , and spend as much time as possible with her , or she would certainly die of boredom . She passed the entire day in making and unfolding plans , looking up the sailing dates of steamships , and writing letters of introduction for Austin . By night she had the satisfaction of knowing that Weston 's offer for the south meadow had been accepted , that the Wallacetown Bank and the insurance money would furnish part of the needed funds , and that she was to be allowed to loan the rest , and that the little brick cottage belonged to her . The fact that Austin had had a long talk with his father and brother , and that his passage for Holland had been engaged by telegraph , seemed scarcely less of an achievement to her ; but Mrs. Gray noticed , as she kissed her little benefactress after seeing her comfortably settled for the night , that her usually pale cheeks were very red and her eyes unnaturally bright , and worried over her all night long .