addressing his host. "I rode over this afternoon, and the men assure me
that the house will soon be habitable. Fair and I have no excuse for
staying longer."

"Then stay without excuse," answered Colonel Dick heartily. "Fontenoy
will miss you--eh, Unity, eh, Jacqueline?"

"It will indeed," said Jacqueline, with a smile; and Unity, "Will I have
time to order a black scarf from Baltimore? Will you leave us mourning
rings?"

"If Miss Dandridge would accept another fashion of ring!" cried Fairfax
Cary, and all at table laughed. Scipio took away the rosebud china, and
laid the purple dessert service for the strawberries and floating island
and Betty Custis cake. Caleb placed the decanters of claret and Madeira,
and the Fontenoy men began to talk of horse-racing, of Mustapha,
Nonpareil, York, and Victor.

Jacqueline and Unity, leaving the gentlemen at their wine, came out into
the broad hall and stood at the front door looking out at the coloured
clouds above the hills. They supped early at Fontenoy, and the evening
was yet rosy.

"He is going to speak to-night," said Unity, with conviction. "It is
written in his eye."

"If you mean Mr. Cary--"

"Whom else should I mean? What are you going to say to him, Jacqueline?
I want you to say Yes, and I want you to say No."

"Don't, Unity--"

"If you say Yes, you will have Greenwood and the most charming husband
in the world, and be envied of every girl in the county; and if you say
No, I'll have you still--"

"I shall say No."

"What ails you, Jacqueline? I could swear that you're in love, and yet I
don't believe you are in love with Ludwell Cary!--though I am sure you
ought to be. It's not Mr. Lee, nor Mr. Page, nor Jack Martin,
nor--you're never in love with Fairfax Cary?"

Jacqueline laughed, "How absurd, Unity!--though may be some day I shall
love him as a cousin!"

Unity regarded her with a puzzled gathering of black brows. "There's no
one else that by any stretch of imagination I can believe you in love
with--unless it's Mr. Pincornet!"

"Oh, now you certainly have it!" cried Jacqueline, with another
tremulous laugh. She released herself from her cousin's arm. "I am going
to tell Deb good-night. And Unity--I don't want Mr. Cary to speak
to-night, nor to-morrow night, nor any other night! I'll stay at
Fontenoy--I'll stay at Fontenoy and care for Aunt Nancy and Deb and
Uncle Dick and Uncle Edward. I'll dance at your wedding, Unity, but
you'll not dance at mine