t first to Mrs. Smith's school. I did
not know that your sisters were there until I had made my preliminary
arrangements."

Janetta flushed deeply, and did not reply. Nora's imagination had been
more active than she expected. Cuthbert, who was watching her, saw the
flush and the look of surprise, and easily guessed what had passed
between the sisters.

"Did you ever read Sheridan's 'Rivals?'" he asked, quietly. "Don't you
remember the romantic heroine who insisted on her romance? She would
hardly consent to marry a man unless he had a history, and would help
her to make one for herself?"

"I don't think that Nora is at all like Lydia Languish."

"Possibly not, in essentials. But she loves romance and mystery and
excitement, as Lydia Languish did. It is a very harmless romance that
consists in sending a few cut flowers by Parcel Post, Cousin Janetta."

"I know--it sounds very little," Janetta said, "but it may do harm for
all that."

"Has it done harm to your sister, then?" Cuthbert inquired, with
apparent-innocence, but with the slight twinkle of his eye, which told
of inward mirth. Janetta was again growing indignant, and was about to
answer rather sharply, when he once more changed his tone. "There," he
said, "I have teased you quite enough, haven't I? I have been presuming
on our relationship to be as provoking as I could, because--honestly--I
thought that you might have trusted me a little more. Now, shall I be
serious?"

"If you can," said Janetta.

"That's awfully severe. By nature, I must tell you, I am the most
serious, not to say melancholy, person in creation. But on a fine day my
spirits run away with me. Now, Janetta--I may call you Janetta, may not
I?--I am going to be serious, deadly serious, as serious as if it were a
wet day in town. And the communication that I wish to make to you as the
head of the family, which you seem to be, is that I am head over ears in
love with your sister Nora, and that I beg for the honor of her hand."

"You are joking," said his hearer, reproachfully.

"Never was joking further from my thoughts. Getting married is an
exceedingly solemn business, I believe. I want to marry Nora and take
her to Paris."

"Oh, this is ridiculous: you can't mean it," said Janetta.

"Why ridiculous? Did I not tell you that I admired Miss Lydia Languish?
Her desire for a romance was quite praiseworthy: it is what every woman
cherishes in her heart of hearts: only Nora, being more naiv