going to
start to Florence. The journey is delightful. I will not say whose
presence will be wanting to make it perfect."

Before they started there came a letter to Nora from Dorothy, which
shall be given entire, because it will tell the reader more of
Dorothy's happiness than would be learned from any other mode of
narrative.

The Close, Thursday.

DEAREST NORA,

I have just had a letter from Hugh, and that makes me feel
that I should like to write to you. Dear Hugh has told me
all about it, and I do so hope that things may come right
and that we may be sisters. He is so good that I do not
wonder that you should love him. He has been the best son
and the best brother in the world, and everybody speaks
well of him,--except my dear aunt, who is prejudiced
because she does not like newspapers. I need not praise
him to you, for I dare say you think quite as well of him
as I do. I cannot tell you all the beautiful things he
says about you, but I dare say he has told them to you
himself.

I seem to know you so well because Priscilla has talked
about you so often. She says that she knew that you and
my brother were fond of each other because you growled at
each other when you were together at the Clock House, and
never had any civil words to say before people. I don't
know whether growling is a sign of love, but Hugh does
growl sometimes when he is most affectionate. He growls at
me, and I understand him, and I like to be growled at. I
wonder whether you like him to growl at you.

And now I must tell you something about myself,--because
if you are to be my sister you ought to know it all. I
also am going to be married to a man whom I love,--oh, so
dearly! His name is Mr. Brooke Burgess, and he is a great
friend of my aunt's. At first she did not like our being
engaged, because of some family reason;--but she has got
over that, and nothing can be kinder and nicer than she
is. We are to be married here, some day in June,--the 11th
I think it will be. How I do wish you could have been here
to be my bridesmaid. It would have been so nice to have
had Hugh's sweetheart with me. He is a friend of Hugh's,
and no doubt you will hear all about him. The worst of it
is that we must live in London, because my husband as will
be,--you see I call him mine already,--is in an office
there. And so poor Aunt Stanbury