"You knew it was for sale. Well, he's bought it. I had the news from the
agent. It's to be put in order this winter, and in the spring Rand will
come back from Richmond and take possession. It is strange to think of a
Rand owning Roselands!"

"A Churchill will own it, too! It will have been bought with Churchill
money. I am so glad! It can be made a lovely place. Jacqueline will have
the garden and the old, long drawing-room! Deb and I can go there
easily. It is all more fitting--I am glad!"

"It is too near Greenwood," said the other gloomily. "I think that
Ludwell will stay in Richmond."

"I'm sorry," said Unity softly and brightly. "I wish, I wish--but what's
the use in wishing? There! the sun has gone, and it is growing cold. I
have sat here until I'm no longer angry with Uncle Edward. Poor man! to
be reading Swift all this time!--I'll walk with you to the front porch."

"I thought," ventured the young man, "I thought that perhaps you might
ask me to stay to supper. It's so lonely at Greenwood."

"You stayed to supper last night," said Miss Dandridge pensively, "and
you were here to dinner the day before, and you rode over the preceding
afternoon, and the morning before that you read me Vathek.--Oh, stay to
supper by all means!"

Cary picked up her scarf and handed her down the steps to the
path that was beginning to be strewn with autumn leaves. "Miss
Dandridge--Unity--it has been fourteen mortal days since I last asked
you to marry me! You said I might ask you once a month--"

"I didn't," said Unity serenely. "I said once a month was too often."

"Aren't you ever going to love me?"

"Why, some day, yes!" replied Miss Dandridge. "When you've swum the
Hellespont like Leander, or picked a glove out of the lion's den like
the French knight, or battered down a haunted castle like Rinaldo, or
taken the ring from a murderer's hand like Onofrio, or set free the
Magician's daughter like Julio--perhaps--perhaps--"

"I must cast about to win my spurs!" said the younger Cary. "In the mean
time I'll ask you again, come fourteen days."

Late September passed into October. The nuts ripened, the forests grew
yellow and red, and the corn was stacked in the long, sere fields, above
which, each morning, lay a white mist. Goldenrod and farewell-summer
faded, but sumach and alder-berry still held the fence corners. The air
was fragrant with wood smoke; all sound was softened, thin, and far
away. A frost fell and the pers