dy had seen him before, but was quite certain
that her acquaintance with him was slight. Could Junius have told his
aunt about the friendship between herself and Mr Croft? It was not like
him, but a great many unlikely things take place.

As for Lawrence, he knew very well there was a trick beneath his
invitation, but he could not at all make out why it had been played. He
had been given an admirable opportunity of offering himself to Miss
March, but there was no reason, apparent to him, why this should have
been done.

Miss Annie, watching her aunt very carefully, and speaking but seldom,
quite promptly made up her mind in regard to the matter. She knew very
well the bitter opposition of the old woman to a marriage between Junius
and Miss March; and saw, as plainly as she saw the lamp on the table,
that Roberta had been brought here on purpose to be sacrificed to Mr
Croft. Everything had been made ready, the altar cleared, and, as well
as the old lady's grindstone would act, the knife sharpened. "But," said
Miss Annie to herself, "she needn't suppose that I am going to sit quiet
and see all this going on, with Junius away off there in Washington,
knowing nothing about any of it."

Miss Roberta retired quite early to her room, having been fatigued by
her long drive, and she was just about to put out her light when she
heard a little knock at the door. Opening it slightly, she saw there
Junius Keswick's cousin, who also appeared quite ready for bed.

"May I come in for a minute?" said Annie.

"Certainly," replied Miss March, admitting her, and closing the door
after her.

"I have something to tell you," said the younger lady, admiring as she
spoke, the length of her companion's braided hair. "I intended to keep
it until to-morrow, but since I came up stairs I felt I could not let
you sleep a night under the same roof with me without knowing it. I am
not Mrs Null."

"What!" exclaimed Roberta, in a tone which made Annie lift up her hands
and implore her not to speak so loud, for fear that her aunt should hear
her. "I know she hasn't come up stairs yet, for she sits up dreadfully
late, but she can hear things, almost anywhere. No, I am not Mrs Null.
There is no such person as Mr Null, or, at least, he is a mere gaseous
myth, whom I married for the sake of the protection his name gave me."

"This is the most extraordinary thing I ever heard," said Roberta. "You
must tell me all about it."

"I don't want to keep yo