urn everybody out of their
thoughts; everybody else. Not that I think that city fellow's a
handsome chap; by no means," she grumbled; "but Maidie does; that's
certain sure. And she won't let me say a word about him--oh, no; I'm a
poor old woman, and my advice is not wanted!"

Hagar resumed her knitting and her rocking with fresh vigor. But her
face relaxed a measure of its grimness as, looking up, her eye rested
on a dainty nosegay, tossed in at the window only that morning, by
this same neglectful young girl.

"She don't mean to forget me, to be sure," she resumed. "She is always
kind and gentle to her old nurse. She is lonesome, of course, and
should have young company, like other girls, but--" here the needles
slacked again--"drat that city chap! I wish he had stayed away from
Bellair."

"Goodness, auntie, what a face! I am almost afraid to come in."

Madeline laughed, despite her anxiety, as Aunt Hagar permitted her
opinion of the "city feller" to manifest itself in every feature.

"Get that awfully defiant look out of your countenance, auntie,"
continued Madeline; "for I'm coming in to have a long talk with you,
and I must not be frightened in the beginning."

The lovely face disappeared from the open window, and in a moment
reappeared in the doorway.

To permit herself to be propitiated in a moment, however, was not in
the nature of Dame Hagar.

"I s'pose you think it's very respectful to pop your saucy head in at
an old woman's window, and set her all of a tremble and then tell her,
because she is not grinning for her own amusement, that she looks
awfully cross, and that you are afraid she will bite you. You are a
nice one to talk of being afraid; you, who never showed an atom of
fear of anything from your cradle up. If you were a bit afraid, when
you were out in the woods, for instance, and meet a long-legged animal
with a smooth tongue, and eyes that ought to make you nervous,
'twouldn't be to your discredit, I think. Of course, I don't mean to
say that you don't meet him quite by accident; oh, no! And I don't
_say_ that he ain't a very nice, respectable sort of chap, whatever I
may _think_. You are just like your poor mother, and if this fellow
with a name that might as well be Devil, and done with it--"

"There, now, auntie--" Madeline's face flushed, and she put the cat
down with sudden emphasis; "I won't let you say bad things of Mr.
Davlin, for I think you would be sorry for it afterward."

Sh