est, and had done so, and Roberta had been informed of it, that
would explain everything that had happened. Roberta's state of mind,
after she had had the talk in the parlor with Junius, and her hurried
departure, without taking the slightest notice of either of the
gentlemen, was quite natural. What woman would like to know that she
had been bargained about, and that her two lovers had agreed which of
them should have her? It was quite to be expected that she would be
very angry, at first, though there was no doubt she would get over it,
so far as Junius was concerned.

Having thus decided, entirely to her own satisfaction, that this was
the state of affairs, she thought it was a grand thing that there were
two such young men in the world, as her cousin and Mr Croft, who could
arrange such an affair in so kindly and honorable a manner, without
feeling that they were obliged to fight--that horribly stupid way in
which such things used to be settled.

This vision of masculine high-mindedness, which Miss Annie had called
up, seemed very pleasant to her, and her mental satisfaction was
denoted by a pretty little glow which came into her face, and by a
certain increase of sprightliness in her walk. "Now then,--" she said
to herself; and although she did not finish the sentence, even in her
own mind, the sky increased the intensity of its beautiful blue; the
sun began to shine with a more golden radiance; the little birds who
had not yet gone South, chirped to each other as merrily as if it had
been early summer; the yellow and purple wild flowers of autumn threw
into their blossoms a richer coloring; and even the blades of grass
seemed to stretch themselves upward, green, tender, and promising;
and when the young lady skipped up the step of the post-office, she
dropped the letter into Miss Harriet Corvey's little box, with the air
of a mother-bird feeding a young one with the first ripe cherry of the
year.

A day or two after this, Lawrence found himself able, by the aid of a
cane and a rude crutch, which Uncle Isham had made for him and the top
of which Mrs Keswick had carefully padded, to make his way from the
office to the house; and, after that, he took his meals, and passed
the greater part of his time in the larger edifice. Sometimes, he
ransacked the old library; sometimes, Miss Annie read to him; and
sometimes, he read to her. In the evening, there were games of cards,
in which the old lady would occasionally tak