her kindness is so very sweet in
its graciousness! I shall always be the happier for the very thinking
of it.'

'I am glad--' began Jem, warmly; but, breaking off, he added--'This
would make us all more comfortable. It would lessen the weight of
obligation, and that would be satisfactory to you.'

'I don't know. I like people to be so kind, that I can't feel as if I
would pay them off, but as if I could do nothing but love them.'

'You did not imagine that I rate this as repayment!'

'Oh! no, no!'

'No! it is rather that nothing can be too precious--' then
pausing--'You are sure you are willing, Clary?'

'Only too glad. I like it to be something valuable to us as well as in
itself. If I only had a bit of black velvet, I could set it up.'

In ten minutes, Jem had speeded to a shop and back again, and stood by
as Clara stitched the clasp to the ribbon velvet; while there was an
amicable dispute, he insisting that the envelope should bear only the
initials of the true donor, and she maintaining that 'he gave the black
velvet.' She had her way, and wrote, 'From her grateful C. F. D. and
J. R. F. D.;' and as James took the little packet, he thanked her with
an affectionate kiss--a thing so unprecedented at an irregular hour,
that Clara's heart leapt up, and she felt rewarded for any semblance of
sacrifice.

He told his grandmother that he had agreed with his sister that they
could do no otherwise than present the ivory clasp; and Mrs. Frost, who
had no specially tender associations with it, was satisfied to find
that they had anything worth offering on equal terms.

She was to be of the party, and setting forth, they, found the House
Beautiful upside down--even the Faithfull parlour devoted to shawls and
bonnets, and the two good old sisters in the drawing-room; Miss Salome,
under the protection of little Louisa, in an easy chair, opposite the
folding doors. Small children were clustered in shy groups round their
respective keepers. Lady Conway was receiving her guests with the
smile so engaging at first sight, Isabel moving from one to the other
with stately grace and courtesy, Virginia watching for Clara, and both
becoming merged in a mass of white skirts and glossy heads, occupying a
wide area. Mrs. Frost was rapturously surrounded by half-a-dozen young
men, Sydney Calcott foremost, former pupils enchanted to see her, and
keeping possession of her all the rest of the evening. She was a
dangerous pers