home that evening, he was surprised to see
Netta looking so much more cheerful than she had done since her return.

'Better, much better,' was her answer to his eager look of inquiry. 'And
now I am better, I have another favour to ask. I want to see Owen and
Gladys married while I am here. I think it would almost cure me to feel
that I had helped to do one kind and right thing in my wrong life. Would
you mind it, father?'

'I shall be very glad to see them married, my dear; the sooner the
better. Owen's good-for-nothing now but sitting with his arm round
Gladys' waist all day long, and I hate those sort of follies.'

'Oh! Davy,' said Mrs Prothero, 'young people will be young people, and
I'm sure no one can be so modest as Gladys,'

'Well, I'm of Netta's opinion, and the sooner they're married the
better. I must confess, now I know who Gladys is, there isn't a girl in
all the country I like so well. And Mr and Mrs Jones have written as a
gentleman and lady ought to write, owning her, and giving their free
consent to her marrying our Owen. So, Netta, fach, if you can get the
young folk's consent you have mine.'

Owen and Gladys had accompanied Mrs Jenkins part of the way home. She
had particularly asked Gladys to 'send her,' and as it was getting dusk,
Owen had 'sent her' also. They returned during the conversation
respecting their marriage and Mr Prothero who had forgotten, if he had
ever experienced, the shyness of affianced lovers, began the subject at
once.

'Netta wants you two young people to be married directly, so do I. I
shall be glad when 'tis all over. What do you say to it?'

They had nothing to say, Gladys blushed, and Owen felt awkward on her
account, not his own.

'There, I always said that lovers were fools,' said Mr Prothero.

'We will settle it another time,' said Netta.

'Go you and settle it directly,' said Mr Prothero; 'what my little girl
here says, is law in this house.'

Poor Netta always began to cry when her father said anything
particularly kind. She did so now. There was a reaction on her spirits,
and she suddenly became as depressed as she had previously been gay. The
constantly recurring contrasts between herself and Gladys continually
affected her, and her father's readiness for the marriage reminded her
of the scenes between him and herself previously to her own.

The topic was given up for that evening, but the following morning Netta
renewed it with Owen, who declared himsel