rbara--and yours. I think he is one of the
nicest men I have met, and it is splendid to see them so happy."

"Yes," Barbara replied contentedly; "it was really rather a happy thing
that I was chased by that cyclist and met the 'American pretender,'
wasn't it, mother?"

"I dare say it was," said Mrs. Britton; but she eyed her daughter
rather wistfully, then kissed her and bade her go to bed, though long
after the girl had left her she sit thinking. It was clear to her, as
it had been to Aunt Anne for some time, that Denys Morton was anxious
to make his uncle Barbara's, by a less round-about method than through
his connection with Aunt Anne; and before a week had passed he had
spoken of his desire, astonishing no one so much as Barbara herself.

"Of course," said Donald, who had gone to his mother for information on
the matter, and was now discussing it in the privacy of the apple-tree
with Frances, "I felt, as eldest son, I ought to be told about it,
though I knew as soon as I saw Denys Morton that he wanted to marry
Barbara."

"He would have been very foolish if he hadn't," Frances remarked.
"But, of course, Barbara is such an unself-conscious kind of person
that it was quite natural _she_ should be surprised. Aunt Anne says
she would choose Denys above every one for Barbara--only, naturally,
she's got a leaning to the family."

Donald nodded.

"So have I, though that's no good if Barbara doesn't want to make up
her mind, and she seems not to. In any case, mother thinks she's too
young, though I should have thought that Aunt Anne kind of balanced
it--being fairly old, you know; and besides, Denys is a lot older than
she is."

"Well," said Frances, "_I_ shall give him all the encouragement I can,
for I think he's very nice. I believe, Donald, that he didn't go to
Rouen just because it's an infectious kind of thing, and he didn't want
to ask Barbara before he had told mother and us----"

"There he is," interrupted Donald. "He looks rather down; let's go and
cheer him up," and the two dropped over the wall into the field that
bordered the garden. They sauntered towards the path leading to the
river, and surprised Denys not a little by suddenly joining him.

[Illustration: "They surprised Denys by suddenly joining him."]

"I say," Donald began, without giving him time to speak, "I don't think
you need be worried,--I've known Barbara a good long time, and I've
never known her to be so absent-minded before.