rich, so
extravagant, and so fashionable."

And yet withal there was a serious and sensible element. There had
before the war been many years of unexampled prosperity; and though
there might be a whirl, people soon came back to reasonable living.

Truth to tell, Philemon Henry was becoming quite captivated with the
city of his birth and his later adoption. And as he began to understand
Madam Wetherill's views for his own future as well as that of his
cousin, he was amazed at her generosity. "Nay, it is not simple
generosity," she declared with great vigor. "There is no reason why you
two should not make a place for yourselves in the new city, such as your
father held in the old. Perhaps wider, for your father would have
nothing to do with government, and a man ought to take some interest in
the civic prosperity of his city as well as money-getting. Mr.
Wetherill, whether wisely or not, put much money in property, and it has
been a dead weight mostly. But now the time has come to improve it, and
with peace there will be many changes and much work to do. I have grown
too old, and a woman cannot well attend to it. Younger blood and
strength must take it up. Then--if we make some mistakes, there is no
one to suffer, though I did not expect to give even two well-trained
colts their heads altogether."

He smiled, but there was a soft mistiness in his eyes.

"I can never thank you," he said unsteadily.

"I must trust someone, you see. Mr. Northfield is too old, Mr. Morris
has his hands full; indeed, I can think of no one better. I have some of
the Wardour willfulness, and take my own way about things. I do not
often make mistakes. This is no sudden notion of mine."

"There is one thing, madam, I must explain before we go farther. I am--I
have"--he paused and flushed in embarrassment--"there is an
understanding between myself and Miss Polly Wharton, not an engagement,
for as yet I have had no certainty to offer. But we care very much for
each other."

Madam Wetherill gave a quick nod or two and there was a smile in her
bright eyes.

"Polly will make a good wife. Thou couldst hardly have chosen better. I
would speak to Mr. Wharton and have the matter settled now. If he had
not been of a consenting mind, thou wouldst hardly have found a welcome
entrance for so long in his home."

"Madam--I never dreamed of being so happy."

"Oh, no doubt thou wilt be much happier on thy wedding day," and she
laughed with a bright spa