o innocent as all that. Has she been swearing at the nurse,
and boxing her ears?"

"Worse than that. She has been and refused the Earl of Tadcaster."

"Refused him--what! has that little monkey had the audacity?"

"The condescension, you mean. Yes."

"And she has refused him?"

"And twenty thousand a year."

"What immorality!"

"Worse. What absurdity!"

"How is it to be accounted for? Is it the old story? 'I could never
love him.' No; that's inadequate; for they all love a title and twenty
thousand a year."

Rosa sewed on all this time in demure and absolute silence.

"She ignores us," said Philip. "It is intolerable. She does not
appreciate our politeness in talking at her. Let us arraign her before
our sacred tribunal, and have her into court. Now, mistress, the Senate
of Venice is assembled, and you must be pleased to tell us why you
refused a title and twenty thousand a year, with a small but symmetrical
earl tacked on."

Rosa laid down her work, and said quietly, "Uncle, almost the last
words that passed between me and my Christopher, we promised each other
solemnly never to marry again till death should us part. You know
how deep my sorrow has been that I can find so few wishes of my lost
Christopher to obey. Well, to-day I have had an opportunity at last. I
have obeyed my own lost one; it has cost me a tear or two; but, for all
that, it has given me one little gleam of happiness. Ah, foolish woman,
that obeys too late!"

And with this the tears began to run.

All this seemed a little too high-flown to Mr. Lusignan. "There," said
he, "see on what a straw her mind turns. So, but for that, you would
have done the right thing, and married the earl?"

"I dare say I should--at the time--to stop his crying."

And with this listless remark she quietly took up her sewing again.

The sagacious Philip looked at her gravely. He thought to himself how
piteous it was to see so young and lovely a creature, that had given
up all hope of happiness for herself. These being his real thoughts,
he expressed himself as follows: "We had better drop this subject, sir.
This young lady will take us potent, grave, and reverend seignors out of
our depth, if we don't mind."

But the moment he got her alone he kissed her paternally, and said,
"Rosa, it is not lost on me, your fidelity to the dead. As years roll
on, and your deep wound first closes, then skins, then heals--"

"Ah, let me die first--"

"Time and nature