morning, before breakfast, Hephzy came to my room with another
suggestion.

"Hosy," she said, "I've been thinkin'. All our things, or most of 'em,
are at Mayberry. Somebody's got to go there, of course, to pack up and
make arrangements for our leavin'. She--Frances, I mean--would go, too,
if we asked her, I suppose likely; she'd do anything you asked, now. But
it would be awful hard for her. She'd meet all the people she used to
know there and they wouldn't understand and 'twould be hard to explain.
The Baylisses know the real truth, but the rest of 'em don't. You'd have
all that niece and uncle mess again, and I don't suppose you want any
more of THAT."

"I should say I didn't!" I exclaimed, fervently.

"Yes, that's the way it seemed to me. So she hadn't ought to go
to Mayberry. And we can't leave her here alone in London. She'd be
lonesome, for one thing, and those everlastin' Crippses might find out
where she was, for another. It may be that that Solomon and his wife
will let her go and say nothin', but I doubt it. So long as they think
she's got a cent comin' to her they'll pester her in every way they can,
I believe. That woman's nose can smell money as far as a cat can smell
fish. No, we can't leave Little Frank here alone. Of course, I might
stay with her and you might go by yourself, but--"

This way out of the difficulty had occurred to me; so when she seemed to
hesitate, I asked: "But what?"

"But it won't be very pleasant for you in Mayberry. You'd have
considerable explainin' to do. And, more'n that, Hosy, there's all that
packin' up to do and I've seen you try to pack a trunk too often before.
You're just as likely to pack a flat-iron on top of a lookin' glass as
to do the other thing. No, I'm the one to go to Mayberry. I must go by
myself and you must stay here in London with her."

"I can't do that, Hephzy," I said. "How could I?"

"You couldn't, as things are, of course. But if they were different.
If she was your wife you could. And then if that Solomon thing came you
could--"

I interrupted. "My wife!" I repeated. "Hephzy, what are you talking
about? Do you mean--"

"I mean that you and she might be married right off, to-day perhaps.
Then everything would be all right."

I stared at her.

"But--but she wouldn't consent," I stammered. "It is impossible. She
wouldn't think of such a thing."

Hephzy nodded. "Oh, yes, she would," she said. "She is thinkin' of it
now. She and I have just had