orld in this way,
child that she is. No; she shall come back, and make her home with us,
if she cannot be happy with these people. Ours is a happy and a cheerful
home, and she shall be to me as a younger sister, and your sister too,
Cyprian. But you must see her; you must leave this very hour; and you
may find her. Go to your cousin Edward, in Boston, at once; tell him
your errand, and get him to help you find our poor dear sister. Then
give her the note I will write, and say I know your heart, Cyprian, and I
can trust that to tell you what to say."

In a very short time Cyprian Eveleth was on his way to Boston. But
another, keener even in pursuit than he, was there before him.

Ever since the day when Master Gridley had made that over-curious
observation of the young lawyer's proceedings at the office, Murray
Bradshaw had shown a far livelier interest than before in the conditions
and feelings of Myrtle Hazard. He had called frequently at The Poplars
to talk over business matters, which seemed of late to require a deal of
talking. He had been very deferential to Miss Silence, and had wound
himself into the confidence of Miss Badlam. He found it harder to
establish any very near relations with Myrtle, who had never seemed to
care much for any young man but Cyprian Eveleth, and to care for him
quite as much as Olive's brother as for any personal reason. But he
carefully studied Myrtle's tastes and ways of thinking and of life, so
that, by and by, when she should look upon herself as a young woman, and
not as a girl, he would have a great advantage in making her more
intimate acquaintance.

Thus, she corresponded with a friend of her mother's in India. She
talked at times as if it were her ideal home, and showed many tastes
which might well be vestiges of early Oriental impressions. She made
herself a rude hammock,--such as are often used in hot climates,--and
swung it between two elms. Here she would lie in the hot summer days,
and fan herself with the sandal-wood fan her friend in India had sent
her,--the perfume of which, the women said, seemed to throw her into
day-dreams, which were almost like trances.

These circumstances gave a general direction to his ideas, which were
presently fixed more exactly by two circumstances which he learned for
himself and kept to himself; for he had no idea of making a hue and cry,
and yet he did not mean that Myrtle Hazard should get away if he could
help it.

The f