'll join you."

Mr. Fabian went up stairs, and Cora followed Violet into the parlor.

"Here are the English magazines, my dear, come this morning. Will you
look over them, while I go and see to the dinner table? I will not be
gone more than ten minutes," said Violet, lifting a pile of pamphlets
from a side table and placing them on a little stand near the easy chair
into which Corona had thrown herself.

"Certainly, Violet, love. Don't mind me. Go."

Violet kissed her forehead and left the room.

Cora never touched the magazines, but sat with her elbow on the stand
and her forehead resting on her hand.

She sat motionless, buried in painful thought until her Uncle Fabian
entered the room.

Then she looked up.

He came and sat down near her; looked at her inquiringly for a few
moments; and then, as she did not break the silence, he said:

"Well, Cora?"

"Well, Uncle Fabian?"

"What is up, my dear?"

"I would rather defer all explanations until after dinner, if you
please."

"Very well, my dear Cora."

And indeed there was no time for further talk just then, for Violet came
hurrying into the room laughing and exclaiming:

"I am the pink of punctuality, Cora, dear. Here I am back again in just
ten minutes."

The next moment the dinner bell rang, and they all went into the dining
room.

Violet--trained by Mrs. Chief Justice Pendletime, who was a great
domestic manager--excelled in every housekeeping department, especially,
perhaps, in the culinary art; so the little dinner was an exquisite one,
and thoroughly enjoyed by the master and mistress of the house, and
might have been equally appreciated by their visitor if her sad thoughts
had not destroyed her appetite.

After dinner, when they adjourned to the parlor, Violet said:

"Again I must beg you to excuse me, Cora, dear, while I go up and put
baby to sleep. It is a little weakness of mine, but I always like to put
her to sleep myself, though I have the most faithful of all nurses. You
will excuse me?"

"Why, of course, darling!" Corona heartily replied; and the happy little
mother ran off.

"Now then, Cora, what is it? You said you would explain after dinner. Do
so now, my dear; for if it is anything very painful I would rather not
have my Wood Violet grieved by hearing it," said Mr. Fabian, drawing his
chair nearer to that of Corona.

"It is very painful, Uncle Fabian, and I also would like to shield
Violet as much as possible from the gri