had been the light of a distant star,
still she sat and speculated. At last the office door opened, and Junius
came out, turning to speak to the occupant of the room as he did so. The
brief vision of him which the watchers caught, as he stood for a moment
in the lighted doorway before stepping out into the darkness, showed
that his demeanor was as quiet and composed as usual; and one of the
three women went to bed very much relieved.

CHAPTER XXII.

From breakfast time the next morning until ten o'clock in the
forenoon, at which hour the Midbranch carriage arrived, Junius Keswick
had been vainly endeavoring to get an opportunity to speak with Miss
March. That lady had remained in her own room nearly all the morning,
where his cousin had been with her; and his aunt, who had her own
peculiar ways of speeding the parting guest, had retired to some
distant spot on the estate, either to plan out some farming operation
for the ensuing season, or to prevent her pent-up passion from boiling
over in her own house.

Thus Junius had the lower floor to himself, and he strode about in
much disquietude, debating whether he ought to send a message to
Roberta, or whether he should wait till she had finished her packing,
or whatever it was, that was keeping her up-stairs. His last private
interview with her had not been a pleasant one, and if he had intended
to speak to her for himself, he would not have felt much encouraged
by her manner of the preceding evening; but he was now engaged on the
affairs of another, and he believed that a failure to attend to them
would be regarded as a breach of faith.

When Mr Brandon's carriage drove into the yard he began to despair,
but now Roberta came running down stairs to speak to Sam, the driver,
and ask him how long it would be necessary to rest his horses. Sam
thought an hour would be long enough, as they would have a good rest
when they got home; and this matter having been settled, Junius came
forward, and requested Roberta to step in the parlor, as he had
something to say to her. Without reply, she followed him into the
room, and he closed the door. They sat down, one on one side of
the round centre table, and one on the other, and Junius began his
statement.

He was by profession a lawyer, and he had given a great deal of
attention to the art of putting things plainly, and with a view to a
just effect. He had carefully prepared in his mind what he should
say to Roberta. He w