t with an
unexpected piece of good fortune: his railway clip had been appreciated,
a man of large capital and enterprise had taken it up with spirit, and
was about to purchase the American and Canadian right for a large sum
down and a percentage. As soon as this contract should be signed he
should come home and claim Mr. Carden's promise. He complained a little
that he got no letters, but concluded the post-office authorities
were in fault, for he had written to New York to have them forwarded.
However, he soon should be in that city and revel in them.

This troubled Coventry, and drove him to extremities. He went on his
knees to Grace, and implored her to name the day.

She drew back with horror and repugnance; said, with a burst of tears,
she was a widow, and would not marry till a decent time had elapsed
since--; then, with sudden doggedness, "I will never marry at all."

And so she left him to repent his precipitation.

He was at his wits' end, and could do nothing but look unhappy, and
temporize, and hope the wind might change.

The wind did not change, and he passed a week or two of outward sorrow,
but inward rage.

He fell ill, and Mr. Carden pitied him openly.

Grace maintained a sullen silence.

One day, as he was in bed, an envelope was brought him, with a large
"L." He opened it slowly, fearing the worst.

The letter was full of love, and joy, and triumph that made the reader's
heart faint within him till he came to this sentence:

"The gentleman who treats with me for the railway clip makes it an
express stipulation that I shall spend a month in his works at Chicago,
superintending the forging and perfecting of the clip. As he intends
to be there himself, and to buy it out-and-out if it answers his
expectations, I shall certainly go, and wear a smith's apron once
more for your sake. He is even half inclined to go into another of
my projects--the forging of large axes by machinery. It was tried at
Hillsborough two years ago, but the Union sent a bullet through the
manufacturer's hat, and he dropped it."

The letter from which I give this extract was a reprieve. He had five or
six weeks before him still.

Soon after this, his faithful ally, Mr. Carden, worked on Grace's pity;
and as Coventry never complained, nor irritated her in any way, she
softened to him. Then all the battery of imploring looks was brought
to bear on her by Coventry, and of kind admonition and entreaty by her
father; and