I

My lady Betty opened the bedroom door and sneezed violently:

"Aunt Bee," she gasped, "O!"

"Heavens, child, how you pounce on one!" cried Lady Belinda, starting
and dropping her powder puff. "What is't?"

"Snuff, aunt--O!"

"Snuff--O Lord! Where? Who?"

"Your Colonel--Cleeve, aunt--O!"

"Colonel Cleeve? Here again? O Heavens!" cried Lady Belinda, flushing.

"He's been waiting below and sprinkling me with his dreadful snuff this
half-hour and more, as you know very well, aunt!"

"Indeed miss, and how should I know?" cried Lady Belinda indignantly,
stealing a glance at her reflection in the mirror.

"You saw him come a-marching up the drive of course, dear aunt. O he
uses the dreadfullest snuff I vow--'tis like gunpowder--and scatters it
broadcast! 'And pray how's your lady aunt?' says he, sprinkling it
over the window-seat and me. 'O sir, in excellent health I thank you,'
says I, 'twixt my sneezes. 'I trust she finds herself none the worse
for her walk last night, the air grows chill toward sunset,' says he
through a brown cloud. 'Indeed sir,' I choked feebly, 'aunt enjoys the
evening air hugely.' 'Then,' says he, speaking like Jove in the cloud,
'I'm bold to hope that she perhaps--this afternoon----' 'I'll go and
see,' I gasped, and staggered from the room strangling. 'Tis a dear,
shy soul, aunt, for all his ogreish eyes and gruff voice."

"Betty!" exclaimed Belinda clasping her hands, "when I think of him
downstairs and our poor, dear Charles abovestairs I could positively
swoon----"

"Nay, aunt, the Colonel's presence here is Charles' safeguard surely,
and the Colonel's a true soldier, a dear, gentle man 'spite all his
bloodthirsty airs and ferocious eyes----"

"Do you think them so--so fierce, Betty?" questioned Lady Belinda
wistfully.

"Go down and see for yourself, aunt."

Lady Belinda crossed to the door, but paused there, fumbled with the
latch and then, all at once, sobbed, and next moment Betty had her
close in her arms.

"Why, aunt!" she whispered. "My dear, what's your grief?"

"O Betty!" whispered Lady Belinda, trembling in those strong young
arms, "O my dear I'm--so--old----"

Betty's eyes filled and stooping she kissed that humbly bowed head:

"Aunt Belinda," she murmured, "Love is never old, nor ever can be. If
Love hath come to thee when least expected, Love shall make thee young.
Thy years of waiting and unselfish service these have but made thee
more worthy--