anced them to._

_The Princess was the most beautiful brunette in the world; her eyes
were large, lively, and sparkling; her looks sweet and modest; her nose
was of a just proportion and without a fault; her mouth small, her lips
of a vermilion red, and charmingly agreeable symmetry; in a word, all
the features of her face were perfectly regular. It is not therefore
surprising that Aladdin, who had never seen, and was a stranger to, so
many charms, was dazzled. With all these perfections the Princess had
so delicate a shape, so majestic an air, that the sight of her was
sufficient to inspire respect._

"_Adorable Princess," said Aladdin to her, accosting her, and saluting
her respectfully, "if I have the misfortune to have displeased you by
my boldness in aspiring to the possession of so lovely a creature, I
must tell you that you ought to blame your bright eyes and charms, not
me._"

_"Prince," answered the Princess, "it is enough for me to have seen
you, to tell you that I obey without reluctance."_

XXXI

AUNT MIRANDA'S APOLOGY

When Rebecca alighted from the train at Maplewood and hurried to the
post-office where the stage was standing, what was her joy to see uncle
Jerry Cobb holding the horses' heads.

"The reg'lar driver 's sick," he explained, "and when they sent for me,
thinks I to myself, my drivin' days is over, but Rebecky won't let the
grass grow under her feet when she gits her aunt Jane's letter, and
like as not I'll ketch her to-day; or, if she gits delayed, to-morrow
for certain. So here I be jest as I was more 'n six year ago. Will you
be a real lady passenger, or will ye sit up in front with me?"

Emotions of various sorts were all struggling together in the old man's
face, and the two or three bystanders were astounded when they saw the
handsome, stately girl fling herself on Mr. Cobb's dusty shoulder
crying like a child. "Oh, uncle Jerry!" she sobbed; "dear uncle Jerry!
It's all so long ago, and so much has happened, and we've grown so old,
and so much is going to happen that I'm fairly frightened."

"There, there, lovey," the old man whispered comfortingly, "we'll be
all alone on the stage, and we'll talk things over 's we go along the
road an' mebbe they won't look so bad."

Every mile of the way was as familiar to Rebecca as to uncle Jerry;
every watering-trough, grindstone, red barn, weather-vane, duck-pond,
and sandy brook. And all the time she was looking backward to the day,