life I shall spend with him. I am thankful to say that I
do not need a grand wedding to make me perfectly happy," and Dexie left the
room, her face white and sad as the result of the interview.

Gussie soon learned the true state of affairs, and Dexie had reason to be
thankful that Guy had not spoken at an earlier day.

To most mothers, the few months or weeks previous to a daughter's marriage,
the heart is full of loving consideration for her; the new position which
her daughter is soon to fill arouses all her tenderness, and she is full of
love that is not unmixed with pity. But mothers are not all cast in the
same mould, and Mrs. Sherwood thought of Dexie's marriage only in the light
in which it affected herself. Dexie was a necessity in the household, and
she would see that Dexie had no spare moments; she must make herself doubly
useful, and prepare for _their_ future comfort; and as Gussie held to the
same opinion, only declared it more frequently, Dexie had anything but an
easy time of it.

One day when Gussie was harping on the same string, yet found it impossible
to get Dexie to tell of her future plans, she retorted:

"Well, I think you have acted shamefully! I wonder what Hugh McNeil will
say when he hears you have thrown him over again!--but I warned him! I told
him just how you had been flirting with Traverse, and I am quite sure Hugh
spoke to him about it, too! But you have been like the dog in the
manger--you would neither take Hugh yourself nor give anyone else the
chance of getting him. I might have had the benefit of his money if it had
not been for you! I suppose you think you are smart to 'cut out' Guy
Traverse's city girl, but it just shows how mean you are, though I can't
see for the life of me what any man sees in _you_ to admire!"

Dexie looked at her sister with flashing eyes. She longed to tell her what
a ridiculous mess of mistakes she had got into. But what was the use! she
would not give way to her temper if she could help it, though it was a
temptation hard to resist.

"Sometime, Gussie, you shall know all about Guy's city girl, if for no
other reason than to make you thoroughly ashamed of yourself; and if you
only knew how far from the truth all your surmises are, you would not be so
free to talk. You make yourself ridiculous, if you only knew it!"

The next day, much to Dexie's delight, Mr. Hackett made his appearance, and
easily explained the cause of his delay; and as he wished to h