or to-night."

The Pastor had to give way, and John Hardy went with him, and they
held a tobacco-parliament, and John slept in his old room at the
parsonage.

Mrs. Hardy, when they were gone, said, "Tell me all about John, my
darling, all you know;" and Helga told her.

"He is like his father," said Mrs. Hardy; "he was so true and good a
gentleman, that I feel the same interest as if it were my own marriage
over again, and my son has been my all for years. He has told me so
much about you, that before I came it was the holding up the mirror to
memory; all what he said, and had dwelt in my mind, came back."

Helga told her that she could not marry until her father was too old
to attend to his duty; that he could not, and would not, give his duty
up until pronounced unfit.

"I will arrange all that," said Mrs. Hardy, "You shall be married to
John this summer, and you must say no more; you must leave that to me.
Your father's greatest happiness will be to see you happily married,
and he has told me so."

A few days after, John Hardy and his mother and Helga Lindal called at
the Jensens'. John frankly told them the story of his engagement, and,
as he was going to be married in Denmark, asked the two Froken Jensens
if they would be bridesmaids. Helga wished it.

Mathilde Jensen reminded Hardy that she had said he bought Rosendal
because he wanted to marry Helga Lindal.

"Yes," said John; "I thanked you for so disposing of me."

The worthy proprietor was delighted that John Hardy would be his
neighbour for some time of the year, and thanked him for the mare
Hardy had sent over from England to improve his breeding stock. John
Hardy had made him a present of it.

"She is," said the proprietor, "as handsome as can be; but she has a
temper."

"She is Irish," said Hardy. "But you will find the horse foals easy to
manage; the mares may give a little trouble, but they will go like
birds."

The Jensens pressed them to stay to an early dinner, and Mrs. Hardy
thought they had best do so. The well-bred English lady made a strong
impression on the Jensen ladies, and the genuine Danish hospitality
appealed to Mrs. Hardy.

The result of this visit was a return visit to Rosendal. The exact
service and the excellent arrangements of everything had its effect on
the Jensens, and the consequence was that numerous calls were made at
Rosendal.

Helga had returned to the parsonage, when John Hardy one day came to
his mother wit