ached the exclamation
which concluded her last remark, he was astounded by the sudden
appearance of Minnie herself at the door.

The effect of this sudden appearance was overwhelming. Mrs. Willoughby
stood thunder-struck, and the Baron utterly bewildered. The latter
recovered his faculties first. It was just as Lady Dalrymple was
passing out. With a bound he sprang toward Minnie, and caught her in
his arms, uttering a series of inarticulate cries.

"Oh, Min! and you did come down, did you? And you couldn't stay up
there, could you? I wanted to send a message to you. Poor little Min!
you're so weak. Is it any thing serious? Oh, my darling little Min!
But sit down on this here seat. Don't stand; you're too weak. Why
didn't you send, and I'd have carried you down? But tell me now,
honest, wasn't it _me_ that brought this on? Never mind, I'll never
leave you again."

This is the style which the gallant Baron adopted to express his
sentiments concerning Minnie; and the result was that he succeeded in
giving utterance to words that were quite as incoherent as any that
Minnie herself, in her most rambling moods, had ever uttered.

The Baron now gave himself up to joy. He took no notice of any body.
He sat by Minnie's side on a sofa, and openly held her hand. The
Reverend Saul Tozer looked on with an approving smile, and surveyed
the scene like a father. Mrs. Willoughby's soul was on fire with
indignation at Minnie's folly and the Baron's impudence. She was also
indignant that her little conventional falsehoods had been suddenly
disproved by the act of Minnie herself. Yet she did not know what to
say, and so she went to a chair, and flung herself into it in fierce
anger.

As for Minnie herself, she had come down to the Baron, and appeared
rather to enjoy the situation. She talked about Rome and Naples, and
asked him all about himself, and the Baron explained his whole
situation down to the minutest detail. She was utterly indifferent to
her sister. Once or twice the Baron made a move to go, but did not
succeed. He finally settled himself down apparently for the rest of
the day; but Mrs. Willoughby at last interposed. She walked forward.
She took Minnie's hand, and spoke to her in a tone which she but
seldom used.

"You shall _not_ stay here any longer!" she cried. "Come."

And Minnie obeyed at once.

The Baron insisted on a tender adieu. Mrs. Willoughby stood by, with
flashing eyes and heaving breast.

Minnie follo