f it had been a flash of
lightning coming through the frosty air of a winter morning. I dropped
the useless reins and turned. Kitty's face was ablaze. She made a
movement as if she was about to jump out of the sleigh and flee.

"Oh, Kitty!" said I, bending down toward her, "tell her yes! I beg I
entreat, I implore you to tell her yes! Oh, Kitty! if you don't say
yes I shall never know another happy day."

For one moment Kitty looked up into my face, and then said she:

"It is my positive intention to marry him!"

With the agility of a youth, Uncle Beamish threw the robe from him and
sprang out into the deep snow. Then, turning toward us, he took off
his hat.

"By George!" said he, "you're a pair of trumps. I never did see any
human bein's step up to the mark more prompt. Madam," he cried,
addressing the old lady, "you ought to be the proudest woman in this
county at seein' such a thing as this happen under your window of a
Christmas mornin'. And now the best thing that you can do is to invite
us all in to have breakfast."

"You'll have to come in," said she, "or else stay out there and freeze
to death, for that horse isn't going to take you away. And if my niece
really intends to marry the young man, and has gone so far as to start
to run away with him,--and with a false doctor,--of course I've got no
more to say about it, and you can come in and have breakfast." And
with that she shut down the window.

"That's talkin'," said Uncle Beamish. "Sit still, doctor, and I'll
lead him around to the back door. I guess he'll move quick enough when
you want him to turn back."

Without the slightest objection Sir Rohan permitted himself to be
turned back and led up to the kitchen porch.

"Now you two sparklin' angels get out," said Uncle Beamish, "and go in.
I'll attend to the horse."

Jane, with a broad grin on her face, opened the kitchen door.

"Merry Christmas to you both!" said she.

"Merry Christmas!" we cried, and each of us shook her by the hand.

"Go in the sitting-room and get warm," said Jane. "She'll be down
pretty soon."

I do not know how long we were together in that sitting-room. We had
thousands of things to say, and we said most of them. Among other
things, we managed to get in some explanations of the occurrences of
the previous night. Kitty told her tale briefly. She and her aunt, to
whom she was making a visit, and who wanted her to make her house her
home, had had a quarrel