treet or two.

"We might just as well have gone to Merleville with them, for all the
difference in the time," said Rose.

"But then our preparations would have interfered with our enjoyment of
Janet's visit, and with her enjoyment, too. It was a much better way
for us to wait."

"Yes. And for some things it will be better to be there after the
wedding, rather than before. But I don't at all like going back to an
empty house. I don't like people going away."

"But people must go away, dear, if they come; and a quiet time will be
good for us both, before we go away," said Graeme.

But the quiet was not for that day. On that day, two unexpected events
occurred. That is, one of them was unexpected to Graeme, and the other
was unexpected to all the rest. Mr Green proposed that Miss Elliott
should accompany him on his contemplated European tour; and Mrs
Tilman's time of service came to a sudden end.

As Graeme and Rose turned the corner of the street on their way home,
they saw the Grove carriage standing at their door.

"_That_ does not look much like quiet," said Rose. "However, it is not
quite such a bugbear as it used to be; don't you remember, Graeme?"

Rose's fears were justified. They found Fanny in a state of utter
consternation, and even Mrs Grove not quite able to conceal how much
she was put about. Mrs Tilman had been taken suddenly ill again, and
even the undiscerning Fanny could not fail to understand the nature of
her illness, when she found her unable to speak, with a black bottle
lying on the bed beside her. Mrs Grove was inclined to make light of
the matter, saying that the best of people might be overtaken in a
fault, on occasion; but Graeme put her very charitable suggestions to
silence, by telling the secret of the housekeeper's former illnesses.
This was not the first fault of the kind, by many.

There were a good many words spoken on this occasion, more than it would
be wise to record. Mrs Grove professed indignation that the "mistress
of the house" should have been kept in ignorance of the state of
affairs, and resented the idea of Fanny's being treated as a child. But
Fanny said nothing; and then her mother assured her, that in future she
would leave her to the management of her own household affairs; and
Graeme surprised them all, by saying, very decidedly, that in doing
this, she would be quite safe and right.

Of course, after all this, Fanny could not think of going out to p