it came to his love
affair, appeared to think that he had yielded much in considering the
feelings of his family at all.

His mother hastened to comfort him. "I know--I know. I've seen for
some time that this might happen, Tom, and I have prepared myself for
it. I have talked it over with your father, and we both agreed from
the beginning that you were not to be hampered by our feeling.
Still--it is a surprise. It must be."

"I know it. I can understand your feeling. But I'm sure that it's one
that will last only while you don't know her well."

"Oh, I'm sure of that, Tom. I'm sure that we shall all be fond of
her,--for your sake at first, even--and I hope she'll like us."

"I am quite certain of that," said Corey, with that confidence which
experience does not always confirm in such cases. "And your taking it
as you do lifts a tremendous load off me."

But he sighed so heavily, and looked so troubled, that his mother said,
"Well, now, you mustn't think of that any more. We wish what is for
your happiness, my son, and we will gladly reconcile ourselves to
anything that might have been disagreeable. I suppose we needn't speak
of the family. We must both think alike about them. They have
their--drawbacks, but they are thoroughly good people, and I satisfied
myself the other night that they were not to be dreaded." She rose, and
put her arm round his neck. "And I wish you joy, Tom! If she's half as
good as you are, you will both be very happy." She was going to kiss
him, but something in his looks stopped her--an absence, a trouble,
which broke out in his words.

"I must tell you, mother! There's been a complication--a
mistake--that's a blight on me yet, and that it sometimes seems as if
we couldn't escape from. I wonder if you can help us! They all thought
I meant--the other sister."

"O Tom! But how COULD they?"

"I don't know. It seemed so glaringly plain--I was ashamed of making
it so outright from the beginning. But they did. Even she did,
herself!"

"But where could they have thought your eyes were--your taste? It
wouldn't be surprising if any one were taken with that wonderful
beauty; and I'm sure she's good too. But I'm astonished at them! To
think you could prefer that little, black, odd creature, with her
joking and----"

"MOTHER!" cried the young man, turning a ghastly face of warning upon
her.

"What do you mean, Tom?"

"Did you--did--did you think so too--that it was IRENE I