"And we congratulate you heartily on your new fortune," said the widow,
joining in and extending both hands.

"Oh, don't speak of it," cried Tom; "it's no end of a bother to me
already. God bless you, I don't know what to do with it! How--how is
your sister?" he stammered, addressing Mellen with desperate energy; for
Elsie's name came up from his heart with a jerk.

"She is quite well," Mellen answered, "and will be charmed to see you;
we were expecting you."

"That's nice of you. So you've only just got back! Well, it's good to
get home, isn't it? that is, if I had any home--but it's dreary for a
solitary chap like me, now isn't it?"

"This house will always seem like home to you, I hope," said Mellen,
kindly.

"Always," added Elizabeth; "don't forget that, Tom."

"You're too good to me," cried the soft-hearted fellow; "you always
were!"

"Of course they were," said a laughing voice, that made Tom start, and
appeared to take every particle of strength out of his limbs.

Elsie suddenly appeared before Tom in her brilliant evening dress and
cloud-like loveliness, reducing him to a pitiable state at once.

"Don't you intend to speak to me?" pursued Elsie.

"Of--of course!" said Tom. "I'm so glad to see you--will you shake
hands--will you--be--be glad to see me?"

"There is my hand," replied Elsie; "the pleasure depends on how
agreeable you make yourself. I suppose you have come back with such fine
foreign manners that you will hardly deign to notice us poor plain
untravelled people."

"Oh, you don't think that!" said Tom. "You are laughing at me just as
usual."

"Did you bring me my bracelet?" demanded Elsie.

"Indeed I did; I'd have brought all Paris if I had thought it would
please you."

Elizabeth now plainly thought poor Tom had returned no wiser than when
he went away; but Mellen, man-like, never perceived the state in which
Elsie's fascinations had thrown the honest fellow, and would not have
thought seriously of the matter if he had.

"Of course you speak French like a native--Iroquois, I mean," pursued
the pitiless Elsie.

"Just about," replied Tom, as ready as ever to laugh at his own
blunders.

"So you did not forget the bracelet?" urged Elsie.

"Indeed I did not; it's in my carpet-bag."

"Then I will be good natured to you all the evening," said she, "and
won't tease you the least mite."

Tom was quite in ecstasies at the prospect; but Mellen said:

"She can't keep her promise, no