expect concurrence from Mrs. Rivers and from Richard, and
Flora assented to all his objections, but she was not to be induced to
say she would remonstrate with her father or with Tom; and she
intimated the uselessness thereof so plainly, that she almost hoped
that Charles Cheviot would be less eager to assail the Doctor with his
arguments.

'No hope of that,' said Ethel, when he had taken leave. 'He will
disburthen his conscience; but then papa is well able to take care of
himself! Flora, I am so thankful you don't object.'

'No indeed,' said Flora. 'We all know it is a pity; but it would be a
far greater pity to break it off now--and do Tom an infinity of harm.
Now tell me all.'

And she threw herself into the subject in the homelike manner that had
grown on her, almost in proportion to Mary's guest-like ways and
absorption in her own affairs.

Six weeks from that time, another hasty note announced that Dr. and
Mrs. Thomas May and Ella were at Liverpool; adding that Averil had been
exceedingly ill throughout the voyage, though on being carried ashore,
she had so far revived, that Tom hoped to bring her home the next day;
but emotion was so dangerous, that he begged not to be met at the
station, and above all, that Leonard would not show himself till
summoned.

Dr. May being unavoidably absent, Ethel alone repaired to the
newly-furnished house for this strange sad bridal welcome.

The first person to appear when the carriage door was opened was a
young girl, pale, tall, thin, only to be recognized by her black eyes.
With a rapid kiss and greeting, Ethel handed her on to the further
door, where she might satisfy the eager embrace of the brother who
there awaited her; while Tom almost lifted out the veiled muffled
figure of his bride, and led her up-stairs to the sitting-room, where,
divesting her of hat, cloak, muff, and respirator, he laid her on the
sofa, and looked anxiously for her reassuring smile before he even
seemed to perceive his sister or left room for her greeting.

The squarely-made, high-complexioned, handsome Averil Ward was entirely
gone. In Averil May, Ethel saw delicately refined and sharpened
features, dark beautiful eyes, enlarged, softened, and beaming with
perilous lustre, a transparently white blue-veined skin, with a lovely
roseate tint, deepening or fading with every word, look, or movement,
and a smile painfully sweet and touching, as first of the three, the
invalid found voice for