she, with unwonted sharpness,
being unpleasantly mindful of the redness of her eyes.

"No, my lady; but I thought----"

"Never think," says Cecil, interrupting her with unreasoning
irritation.

"No, my lady. I only thought perhaps you would see Miss Massereene,"
persists Trimmins, meekly. "She wishes to know, with her love, if you
can receive her now."

"Miss Massereene? Of course I can. Why did you not say so before?"

"Your ladyship scarcely gave me time," says Trimmins, demurely, taking
an exhaustive survey of her cambric apron.

"True; I was hasty," Cecil acknowledges, in her impulsive, honest,
haughty way. "Tell Miss Massereene I shall be delighted to see her at
once."

Presently Molly enters, her eyelids pink, the corners of her mouth
forlornly curved, a general despondency in her whole demeanor.

Cecil, scarcely more composed, advances to meet her.

"Why, Molly!" she says, pathetically.

"You have been crying," says Molly, in the same breath, throwing
herself into her arms.

"I have indeed, my dear," confesses Cecil, in a lachrymose tone, and
then she begins to cry again, and Molly follows suit, and for the next
five minutes they have a very comfortable time of it together.

Then they open their hearts to each other and relate fluently, as only
a woman can, all the intolerable wrongs and misjudgment they have
undergone at the hands of their lovers.

"To accuse me of anything so horrible!" says Molly, indignantly. "Oh,
Cecil! I don't believe he could care for me one bit and suspect me of
it."

"'Care for you!' Nonsense, my dear! he adores you. That is precisely
why he has made such a fool of himself. You know--

"Trifles light as air,
Are to the jealous confirmations strong
As proofs of holy writ.

"I like a man to be jealous,--in reason. Though when Sir Penthony walked
out from behind that hedge, looking as if he could, with pleasure,
devour me and Talbot at a bite, I confess I could gladly have dispensed
with the quality in him. You should have seen his face: for once I was
honestly frightened."

"Poor Cecil! it must have been a shock. And all because that tiresome
young man wouldn't go away."

"Just so. All might have been well had he only seen things in a
reasonable light. Oh, I was so angry! The most charming of your charms,
Molly," says Cecil, warmly, "is your ability to sympathize with one.
You can feel so thoroughly with and for me; and you never season your
re