he
words and the manner together. She was very tired and overstrung, and
they found some unguarded spot and reached the strained nerves. Dolly
put both hands to her face and burst into tears, and for a moment was
terribly afraid that she was going to be hysterical. But that was not
Dolly's way at all, and she made resolute fight against her nerves.
Meanwhile, she felt herself taken hold of and placed in a chair by the
window; and the sense that somebody was watching her and waiting,
helped the return of self-control. With a sort of childish sob, Dolly
presently took down her hands and looked up through the glistening
tears at the young man standing over her.

"There!" she said, forcing a smile on the lips that quivered,--"I am
all right now. I do not know how I could be so foolish."

"_I_ know," said Mr. Shubrick. "Then I will just return to the village
for half and hour, and be back here as soon as possible."

"But"--said Dolly doubtfully. "Why don't you send for what you want?"

"Difficult," said the other. "I am going to get some supper."

"Oh!" said Dolly. "If _that_ is what you want--sit down, Mr. Shubrick.
Or send off your fly first, and then sit down. If you are going to stay
here to-night, I'll give you your supper. Send away the fly, Mr.
Shubrick, please!"

"I do not think I can. And you cannot possibly do such a thing as you
propose. I shall be back here in a very little time."

Dolly put her hand upon Mr. Shubrick's cap and softly took it from him.

"No," she said. "It's a bargain. If I let you do one thing, you must
let me do the other. It would trouble me to have you go. It is too
pleasant to see a friend here, to lose sight of him in this fashion.
There will be supper, of some sort, and you shall have the best we can.
Will you send away your fly, please, and sit down and wait for it?"

If Dolly could not withstand him, so on this point there was no
resisting her. Mr. Shubrick yielded to her evident urgent wish; and
Dolly went back to her preparations. The question suddenly struck her,
_where_ should she have supper? Down here in the kitchen? But to have
it in order, upstairs, would involve a great deal more outlay of
strength and trouble. The little maid could not set the table up there,
and Dolly could not, with the stranger looking on. That would never do.
She debated, and finally decided to put her pride in her pocket and
bring her visitor down to the kitchen. It was not a bad place, and if
he