Alice?--what is it?" urged her mother.

"Nothing. I--Mr. Mavering--we met--I met him at the Museum, and--we're
engaged! It's really so. It seems like raving, but it's true. He came
with me to the door; I wouldn't let him come in. Don't you believe it?
Oh, we are! indeed we are! Are you glad, mamma? You know I couldn't have
lived without him."

She trembled on the verge of another outbreak.

Mrs. Pasmer sacrificed her astonishment in the interest of sanity, and
returned quietly: "Glad, Alice! You know that I think he's the sweetest
and best fellow in the world."

"O mamma!"

"But are you sure--"

"Yes, Yes. I'm not crazy; it isn't a dream he was there--and I met
him--I couldn't run away--I put out my hand; I couldn't help it--I
thought I should give way; and he took it; and then--then we were
engaged. I don't know what we said: I went in to look at the 'Joan of
Arc' again, and there was no one else there. He seemed to feel just as
I did. I don't know whether either of us spoke. But we, knew we were
engaged, and we began to talk."

Mrs. Pasmer began to laugh. To her irreverent soul only the droll side
of the statement appeared.

"Don't, mamma!" pleaded Alice piteously.

"No, no; I won't. But I hope Dan Mavering will be a little more definite
about it when I'm allowed to see him. Why couldn't he have come in with
you?"

"It would have killed me. I couldn't let him see me cry, and I knew I
should break down."

"He'll have to see you cry a great many times, Alice," said her mother,
with almost unexampled seriousness.

"Yes, but not yet--not so soon. He must think I'm very gloomy, and I
want to be always bright and cheerful with him. He knows why I wouldn't
let him come in; he knew I was going to have a cry."

Mrs. Pasmer continued to laugh.

"Don't, mamma!" pleaded Alice.

"No, I won't," replied her mother, as before. "I suppose he was
mystified. But now, if it's really settled between you, he'll be coming
here soon to see your papa and me."

"Yes--to-night."

"Well, it's very sudden," said Mrs. Pasmer. "Though I suppose these
things always seem so."

"Is it too sudden?" asked Alice, with misgiving. "It seemed so to me
when it was going on, but I couldn't stop it."

Her mother laughed at her simplicity. "No, when it begins once, nothing
can stop it. But you've really known each other a good while, and for
the last six weeks at least you've known you own mind about him pretty
clearly. It's a pity y