d not want her to suffer, but a decent
amount of regret at the loss of such a lover would have gratified him;
a slight melancholy, a word of reproach, a glance of envy as he passed
with adoring Dora on his arm, seemed but the fitting tribute to such
years of faithful service and sincere affection. But Nan regarded him
with a maternal sort of air that nettled him very much, and patted
Dora's curly head with a worldlywise air worthy of the withered
spinster, Julia Mills, in David Copperfield.

It took some time to get the old and the new emotions comfortably
adjusted, but Mrs Jo helped him, and Mr Laurie gave him some wise advice
upon the astonishing gymnastic feats the human heart can perform, and
be all the better for it if it only held fast to the balancing-pole
of truth and common sense. At last our Tommy got his bearings, and as
autumn came on Plumfield saw but little of him; for his new lode star
was in the city, and business kept him hard at work. He was evidently
in his right place now, and soon throve finely, to his father's great
contentment; for his jovial presence pervaded the once quiet office like
a gale of fresh wind, and his lively wits found managing men and
affairs much more congenial employment than studying disease, or playing
unseemly pranks with skeletons.

Here we will leave him for a time and turn to the more serious
adventures of his mates, though this engagement, so merrily made, was
the anchor which kept our mercurial Tom happy, and made a man of him.

Chapter 10. DEMI SETTLES

'Mother, can I have a little serious conversation with you?' asked Demi
one evening, as they sat together enjoying the first fire of the season,
while Daisy wrote letters upstairs and Josie was studying in the little
library close by.

'Certainly, dear. No bad news, I hope?' and Mrs Meg looked up from her
sewing with a mixture of pleasure and anxiety on her motherly face; for
she dearly loved a good talk with her son, and knew that he always had
something worth telling.

'It will be good news for you, I think,' answered Demi, smiling as he
threw away his paper and went to sit beside her on the little sofa which
just held two.

'Let me hear it, then, at once.'

'I know you don't like the reporting, and will be glad to hear that I
have given it up.'

'I am very glad! It is too uncertain a business, and there is no
prospect of getting on for a long time. I want you settled in some good
place where you can sta