levue Cottage, and ardently wished that the
merchant would go back to his merchandise, and leave our quiet little
town to its own dull peace.

"Sometimes I thought of the full-grown man whose intelligent face, and
the faintly foreign accent of whose voice were now familiar in our
home--the busy merchant, the polite and agreeable gentleman. And then
I thought of the Ivan I seemed to have known so much better so long
ago! The pale boy wandering by the water--reading in the swing--dead
by that other river--buried beneath the lilies. Oh! why had he lived
to come back in this new form to trouble me?

"One day he came to my father as usual, and I took the opportunity to
call on my old friends. I felt ashamed of having neglected them, and
as I knew that Mr. Smith was at our house, I could not be suspected of
having hoped to meet him at theirs. But I called at an unfortunate
moment. Miss Martha had just made up her mind that in the absence of
my mother, and the absentness of my father, it was the duty of old
friends like herself to give me a little friendly counsel. As she took
a great deal of credit for being 'quite candid, my dear,' and quietly,
but persistently refused to give me credit for the same virtue, I was
too much irritated to appreciate the kindness which led her to
undertake the task of interference in so delicate a matter; and found
her remarks far from palatable. In the midst of them the merchant was
announced.

"If I could have looked innocent it would have done me no good. As it
was, I believe I looked very guilty. After sitting for a few minutes
longer I got up to go, when to my horror the merchant rose also. The
old ladies made no effort to detain him, but Miss Martha's face spoke
volumes as we left the house. Half mad with vexation, I could hardly
help asking him why he was stupid enough to come away just at the
moment I had chosen for leaving; but he forestalled the inquiry by a
voluntary explanation. He wished to speak to me. He had something to
say.

"When he had said it, and had asked me to marry him, my cup was full.
I refused him with a vehemence which must have surprised him, modest
as he was, and rushed wildly home.

"For the next few days I led a life of anything but comfort. First as
to Ivan. My impetuous refusal did not satisfy him, and he wrote me a
letter over which I shed bitter tears of indescribable feeling.

"Then as to my father. The whole affair took him by surprise. He was
astonis