all; and, as to the other--"

"Margaret cannot bear this," said Richard, coming near. "It is too
much."

The sailor shook his head, and was retreating, but Margaret signed him
to come near again, and grasped his hand. Harry followed him out of the
room, to arrange their journey, and presently returned.

"He says he is glad he has seen Margaret; he says she is the right sort
of stuff for Mr. Ernescliffe."

Harry had not intended Margaret to hear, but she caught the words,
smiled radiantly, and whispered, "I wish I may be!"

CHAPTER XVIII.

Margaret had borne the meeting much too well for her own good, and a
wakeful night of palpitation was the consequence; but she would not
allow any one to take it to heart, and declared that she should be ready
to enjoy Harry by the time he should return, and meantime, she should
dwell on the delight of his meeting Flora.

No one had rested too soundly that night, and Dr. May had not been
able to help looking in at his sleeping boy at five in the morning,
to certify himself that he had not only figured his present bliss to
himself, in his ten minutes' dream. And looking in again at half-past
seven, he found Harry half dressed, with his arm round Mary; laughing,
almost sobbing, over the treasures in his cupboard, which he had newly
discovered in their fresh order.

Dr. May looked like a new man that morning, with his brightened eye and
bearing, as if there were a well-spring of joy within him, ready to brim
over at once in tear and in smile, and finding an outlet in the praise
and thanksgiving that his spirit chanted, and his face expressed, and in
that sunny genial benevolence that must make all share his joy.

He was going to run over half the town--every one would like to hear
it from him; Ethel and Mary must go to the rest--the old women in the
almshouses, where lived an old cook who used to be fond of Harry--they
should have a feast; all who were well enough in the hospital should
have a tea-drinking; Dr. Hoxton had already granted a holiday to the
school; every boy with whom they had any connection should come to
dinner, and Edward Anderson should be asked to meet Harry on his return,
because, poor fellow, he was so improved.

Dr. May was in such a transport of kind-hearted schemes, that he was
not easily made to hear that Harry had not a sixpence wherewith to reach
London.

Ethel, meanwhile, was standing beside her brother tendering to him some
gold, as hi