good lady, with some tossings of the head and
flourishings of a handkerchief which rather puzzled Janetta by their
demonstrativeness; "and no doubt you will accuse me of want of respect
of your father's memory and all that sort of thing; though I'm sure I
don't know why, for _he_ married a second time, and I am a young woman
still and not without admirers."

"Do you mean," said Janetta, "that you think----?"

She could go no further: she stood and looked helplessly at her
stepmother.

"Do I think of marrying again? Well, yes, Janetta, I do; and more for
the children's good than for my own. Poor things, they need a father:
and I am tired of this miserable, scraping, cheeseparing life that you
are so fond of. I have been offered a comfortable home and provision for
my children, and I have decided to accept it."

"So soon!"

"It will not be announced just yet, of course. Not until the end of the
summer. But it is really no use to wait."

Janetta stood pale and wide-eyed: she did not dare to let herself speak
just yet. Mrs. Colwyn grew fretful under what she felt to be silent
condemnation.

"I should like to know what harm it can do to you?" she said. "I've
waited quite as long as many widows do, and toiled and suffered more
than most. Poor James was the last man to grudge me a little rest and
satisfaction as a reward for all that I have undergone. My own children
will not repine, I am sure, and I look to you, Janetta, to explain to
them how much for their good it will be, and how advantageous for them
all."

"You can hardly expect me to try to explain away an act of disrespect to
my father's memory," said Janetta, coldly.

"There is no disrespect to the dead in marrying a second time."

"After a decent interval."

Mrs. Colwyn burst into tears. "It's the first time in my life that I've
ever been told that I was going to do a thing that wasn't decent," she
moaned. "And when it's all for his dear children's good, too! Ah, well!
I'll give it up, I'll say no, and we will all starve and go down into
the grave together, and then perhaps you will be satisfied."

"Mamma, please do not talk such nonsense. Who is it that has asked you
to be his wife?"

"Dr. Burroughs," said Mrs. Colwyn, faintly.

Janetta uttered an involuntary exclamation. Dr. Burroughs was certainly
a man of sixty-five, but he was strong and active still; he had a good
position in the town, and a large private income. His sister, who kept
his hou