indows looking very pale and thoughtful,
tried to put on a smile as he said,

"We are to look for you both back again in the early autumn, you said,
aunt."

"Yes, Cecil, as soon as the first brown leaves fall."

The young people looked good by to each other, but said not a word, and
the heavy old coach moved away. In three days more the travelers were in
London, and in due course Anna was presented at court by her mother, who
had herself been presented on the occasion of her marriage. Then came
calls and cards and invitations to balls and routs and state dinners,
and the poor tired mother went through all these ceremonies as a duty
toward her daughter, and the daughter endured it because she loved her
mother, and desired to obey her wish. It was necessary that a young
heiress of her rank should be dressed in accordance with the fashion of
the day, but the young heiress longed to be released from the thraldom
of fashion, the fatiguing, heavy brocade dresses, the hoops, the stiff
ruff and the stomacher, the farthingale and high heeled shoes, and a
thousand times more than all, did she desire to be released from the
artificial and to her unsatisfactory life, from the flattery, the
coquetry, the idle, envious tattle, and to be back again with Cecil, in
her simple, healthy attire, and to live among honest hearts.

The autumn came, and the dry brown leaves began to fall from the trees.
Day after day, Cecil opened the harpsichord, and laid a bouquet of the
rich deep-hued flowers of the season upon it, and then he took his place
by the fountain, and watched the winding road through the park, so that
he might get the first sight of the coach when it returned. The autumn
leaves continued to fall, and Cecil kept his daily vigil until they were
lying deep on the ground, and the branches overhead were bare. Then came
a letter saying that Cecil's aunt was ordered by her doctor to pass the
winter in Italy, in the hope of curing a cough, which had of late
settled upon her, so that it would be spring before the ladies could
return to the manor house, hence they traveled to Italy and spent the
winter among its masterpieces of genius, both in music and art. The soft
air seemed all that was wanted to restore Anna's mother to health. Every
day, they found something beautiful that they desired Cecil to see, but
it was too late now to send for him, for spring was near. With the
spring, came back the cough, and again the medical order was c