a divorce. And yet I am sure he has promised Aunt Keswick
to see what he can do about getting one. He wants me to stay here and
make friends of Aunt Keswick and Junius, but he wouldn't like that if it
were not for you, Mr Null. You make everything safe for him.

"And now, Freddy, I tell you again, that all depends upon you. If I'm to
stay here--and I want to do that, for a time any way, for although Aunt
Keswick is so awfully queer, she's my own aunt, and that's more than I
can say for anybody else in the world--you must stiffen up, and stand by
me. It won't do to give way for a minute. If necessary you must take
tonics, and have a steel rod down your back, if you can't keep yourself
erect without it. You must have your legs padded, and your chest thrown
out; and you must stand up very strong and sturdy, Freddy, and not let
them push you an inch this way or that. And now that we have made up our
minds on this subject, we'll go down, for it's getting a little cool on
the top of this hill."

CHAPTER IX.

On the morning of her uncle's departure from Midbranch, Roberta came out
on the porch, and took her seat in a large wooden arm-chair, putting
down her key basket on the floor beside her. The day was bright and
sunny, and the shadows of two or three turkey buzzards, who were
circling in the air, moved over the field in front of the house. In this
field also moved, not so fast, nor so gracefully as the shadows, two
ploughs, one near by, and the other at quite a distance. The woods which
shut out a great part of the horizon showed many a bit of color, but the
scene, although bright enough in some of its tones, was not a cheering
one to Roberta; and she needed cheering.

Had it not been for the delay of her father in making his winter visit
to New York, she would now be in that city, but if things had gone on as
she expected they would, she would have been perfectly satisfied to
remain several weeks longer at Midbranch. Junius Keswick, who had not
visited the house for a long time, had come to them again; and, now that
the subject of love and marriage had been set aside, it was charming to
have him there as a friend. They not only walked in the woods, but they
took long rides over the country, Mr Brandon having waived his
objections in regard to his niece riding about with gentlemen. She had
even been pleased with the unexpected return of Lawrence Croft, for, for
reasons of her own, she wished very much to have a t