of it was standing when
he was two years old.

The general vote was, of course, that Old Martindale should be
renewed,--and it was to be begun--when?

'When ways and means are found,' said Lord Martindale. 'We must talk
over that another time, John.'

John, as he bade Theodora good night, murmured thanks for the safety
of all the properties which he had been surprised to find in the room
prepared for him. Her eyes were liquid as she faltered her answer.

'O, John, it was such a pleasure! How much you have to forgive! How
right you were, and how wrong I was!'

'Hush! not now,' said John, kindly.

'Yes, now, I cannot look at you till I have said it. I have felt the
truth of every word you said, and I beg your pardon for all that has
passed.'

He pressed her hand in answer, saying, 'It was my fault. But all is well
now, and you know how I rejoice.'

'Everything is everybody's fault,' said Percy, joining him; 'but we must
not stop to battle the point, or Mr. Hugh Martindale's housekeeper will
be irate. Good night, Theodora.'

Percy and John were quartered at the Vicarage, and walked thither, at
first in silence, till the former said, 'Well, what do you think of it?'

'The best coming home I ever had, and the most surprising. I have seen
so much that is unexpected, that I don't know how to realize it.'

'Heartsease,' was Percy's brief reply.

'Violet? You don't mean it!'

'The history of these years is this,' said Percy, making an emphatic
mark on the gravel with his stick. 'Every one else has acted, more or
less, idiotically. She has gone about softening, healing, guarding,
stirring up the saving part of each one's disposition. If, as she avers,
you and Helen formed her, you gave a blessing to all of us.'

'How can this be? No one has spoken of her power.'

'It is too feminine to be recognized. When you talk to the others you
will see I am right. I will speak for myself. I verily believe that
but for her I should have been by this time an unbearable disappointed
misanthrope.'

'A likely subject,' said John, laughing.

'You cannot estimate the shock our rupture gave me, nor tell how I
tried to say "don't care," and never saw my savage spite till her gentle
rebuke showed it to me. Her rectitude and unselfishness kept up my faith
in woman, and saved me from souring and hardening. On the other hand,
her firmness won Theodora's respect, her softness, her affection. She
led where I drove, acted the sun where