dy confides love affairs to her."

"Do they, now? Might I ask how you know?"

"Yes, sir; you may _ask_!" Then she dropped that subject and returned
to the first one. "Aunt Sajane, when do you reckon we can dance at
Kenneth's wedding--his and Gertrude's? Doctor Delaven and I want to
dance."

"Evilena--honey!" murmured Aunt Sajane, chidingly, the more so as
Matthew Loring had just crept slowly out with the help of his cane,
and a negro boy. His alert expression betrayed that he had overheard
the question.

"You know," she continued, "folks have lots to think of these days
without wedding dances, and it isn't fair to Gertrude to discuss it,
for _I_ don't know that there really has been any settled engagement;
only it would seem like a perfect match and both families seem to
favor it." She glanced inquiringly at Loring, who nodded his head
decidedly.

"Of course, of course, a very sensible arrangement. They've always
been friends and it's been as good as settled ever since they were
children."

"Settled by the families?" asked Delaven.

"Exactly--a good old custom that is ignored too often these days,"
said Mr. Loring, promptly. "Who is so fit to decide such things for
children as their parents and guardians? That boy's father and me
talked over this affair before the children ever knew each other. Of
course he laughed over the question at the time, but when he died and
suggested me as the boy's guardian, I knew he thought well of it and
depended on me, and it will come off right as soon as this war is
over--all right."

"A very good method for this country of the old French cavaliers,"
remarked Delaven, in a low tone, to the girl, "but the lads and
lassies of Ireland have to my mind found a better."

Evilena looked up inquiringly.

"Well, don't you mean to tell me what it is?" she asked, as he
appeared to have dropped the subject. He laughed at the aggrieved tone
she assumed.

"Whist! There are mystical rites due to the telling, and it goes for
nothing when told in a crowd."

"You have got clear away from Kenneth," she reminded him, hastily.
"Did you mean that he was--well, in love with this magnificent
Marquise?"

Low as she tried to speak, the words reached Loring, who listened, and
Delaven, glancing across, perceived that he listened.

"In love with the Marquise? Bless your heart, we were all of course."

"But my brother?" insisted Evilena.

"Well, now he might have been the one exception--in fact