everywhere.
I feel my heart is in my wings, and must I go sit on a nest? Miss
Somers--"

"The question is, dear, do you love?"

"Auntie, I reckon I love William as much as he does me."

"But he is devoted, Rhoda."

"If I thought I had the whole, full heart of William, Aunt Vesta, and it
would give him real pain to disappoint him, I would marry him. But I
have watched him like a cat watches a mouse. He wants to marry me to
make other people than himself happy; to reconcile you and uncle more;
to take uncle more into your family by marrying his niece. William is
trying to love Uncle Meshach like a good Christian, but, Aunt Vesta, he
thinks more of your little toe than of my whole body."

The crimson color came to Vesta's cheeks so unwillingly, so mountingly,
that she felt ashamed of it, and, in place of anger, that many wives so
exposed would have shown, she shed some quiet tears.

"Rhoda, don't you know I am your uncle's wife."

Rhoda threw her arms around her.

"Forgive me, dear! When you tell me, Aunt Vesta, that William loves me
dearly, I'll gladly marry him. I only want, auntie, not to make
happiness impossible, when to wait would be better."

Vesta wondered what Rhoda meant, but, kissing her friend tenderly again,
Rhoda whispered:

"Auntie, it's not selfishness that makes me behave so. Indeed, I love
William; it's a sacrifice to let him go."

Vesta looked up and found Rhoda's eyes this time full of tears.

"Strange, tender girl!" cried Vesta. "What makes you cry?"

Yet, for some unspoken, perhaps unknown, reasons, they both shed
together the tears of a deeper respect for each other.

Soon afterwards Judge Custis, being sent to Annapolis by Milburn, was
requested to take Rhoda along, as a part of her education, and Vesta
went, also, at her husband's desire.

She feared that her father, devoted as he had become to her husband's
business interests, still disliked him and bore him resentment; and
Vesta wished to see not only outward but inward reconcilement of those
two men, from one of whom she drew her being, and towards the other
began to feel sacred yet awful ties that took hold on life and death.

They were taken to the landing by Mr. Milburn and the young rector, and
there, as the steamboat approached, Tilghman said:

"Rhoda, your uncle has consented. He wishes us to marry. I ask you,
before all of them, to consider my proposal while you are gone, and come
home with your reply."

The impetu