ighted and neglectful. Miss Prince hated to
think that Nan had any but the pleasantest associations with her
nearest relative; she must surely keep the girl's affection now. She
meant to insist at any rate upon Dunport's being her niece's home for
the future, though undoubtedly it would be hard at first to break with
the many associations of Oldfields. She must write that very night to
Dr. Leslie to thank him for his care, and to again express her regret
that Anna's misguided young mother should have placed such
restrictions upon the child's relations with her nearest of kin, and
so have broken the natural ties of nature. And she would not stop
there; she would blame herself generously and say how sorry she was
that she had been governed by her painful recollections of a time she
should now strive to forget. Dr. Leslie must be asked to come and join
his ward for a few days, and then they would settle her plans for the
future. She should give her niece a handsome allowance at any rate,
and then, as Miss Prince looked across the room and forgot her own
thoughts in listening to the young people's friendly talk, a sudden
purpose flashed through her mind. The dream of her heart began to
unfold itself slowly: could anything be so suitable, so comforting to
her own mind, as that they should marry each other?

Two days before, her pleasure and pride in the manly fellow, who was
almost as dear to her as an own son could be, would have been greatly
shocked, but Miss Prince's heart began to beat quickly. It would be
such a blessed solution of all the puzzles and troubles of her life if
she could have both the young people near her through the years that
remained, and when she died, or even before, they could live here in
the old house, and begin a new and better order of things in the place
of her own failures and shortcomings. It was all so distinct and
possible in Miss Prince's mind that only time seemed necessary, and
even the time could be made short. She would not put any hindrances
between them and their blessed decision. As she went by them to seek
Priscilla, she smoothed the cushion which Nan had leaned upon before
she moved a little nearer George Gerry in some sudden excitement of
the conversation, which had begun while the captain was still there,
and there was a needless distance between them. Then Miss Prince let
her hand rest for a minute on the girl's soft hair. "You must ask Mr.
Gerry to excuse you for a few minutes