At length the sun setsetin a flood of glory , behind the distant western hills , and as darkness drewdrawits veil around the secluded spot the sounds of preparation diminisheddiminish; the last light finally disappeareddisappearfrom the log cabin of some officer ; the trees castcasttheir deeper shadows over the mounds and the rippling stream , and a silencesilencesoon pervaded the camp , as deep as that which reigned in the vast forest by which it was environed .
The consequence was , that when she disappeareddisappearfrom her sofa -- except for the mere physical fact that she was no longer there -- no one , except her maid , whose occupation was gone , could have found out much difference .
CHAPTER I At sunset hour the forest was still , lonely , sweet with tang of fir and spruce , blazing in gold and red and green ; and the man who glidedglideon under the great trees seemed to blend with the colors and , disappearingdisappear, to have become a part of the wild woodland .