ons respect at the self-confident
little creature who proposed to go down to the city and see about
things.

The old lady at first proposed to go down herself and take little
Periwinkle with her; but she felt timid about the great city, and about
Cousin John's fine ways of living. She wouldn't be able to find her way
around, and she felt "scarr't" when she thought about it. Besides,
who'd get father's breakfast for him if she went away?

So she decided to send Periwinkle down. Rob Riley could take her, and
Cousin John's wife had always liked her and she'd be glad to see her.
She hadn't any children of her own, and might be real glad to have the
merry little thing about; and as for sending her back, there was always
somebody coming up from the city. Of course Grandma Newton didn't think
how large the village of New York had grown to be, and how unlikely it
was that Henrietta should find any one going to Weston.

The greatest difficulty was to persuade Rob Riley to take her. His
pride was wounded, and he didn't want to have anything to do with
Henrietta and her fine folks. But the old lady persisted, and, above
all, little Periwinkle informed Rob that she was going down to see
about Henrietta. This touched Rob; he remembered when she had snatched
Henrietta out of the jaws of Miss Tucker. He consented to take her to
Mr. Willard's house and ring the door-bell.

Henrietta had recovered from her attack of penitence, and was again
floating on the eddying current of excitement. One evening she went
with Lowder to see La Dame aux Camelias. She had never before seen "an
emotional play" of the French school, and it affected her deeply. Harry
took advantage of her softened feelings to envelop her in a cloud of
flattery, and to make love to her. Something of the better sense of the
girl had heretofore held her back from any committal of her trust to
him; but when they reached Mrs. Willard's parlor, Harry laid direct
siege to Henrietta's affection, telling her what moral miracles her
influence had wrought in him, and how nothing but her love was needed
to keep him steadfast in the future; and, in truth, he more than half
believed what he said. The whole scene was quite in the key of the
play, and her overwrought feelings drifted toward the man pleading thus
earnestly for affection. Harry saw the advantage of the situation, and
urged on her an immediate decision. Henrietta, still shaken by
passionate excitement, and without rest i