o marry Lady Isabel--and didn't
the news come upon us like a thunderclap!--Miss Barbara had been at
Miss Carlyle's and he brought her home. A lovely night it was, the moon
rising, and nearly as light as day. He somehow broke her parasol in
coming home, and when they got to our gate there was a love scene."

"Were you a third in it?" sarcastically demanded Joyce.

"Yes--without meaning to be. It was a regular love scene; I could hear
enough for that. If ever anybody thought to be Mrs. Carlyle, Barbara did
that night."

"Why, you great baby! You have just said it was the night before he went
to get married!"

"I don't care, she did. After he was gone, I saw her lift up her hands
and her face in ecstacy, and say he would never know how much she loved
him until she was his wife. Be you very sure, Joyce, many a love-passage
had passed between them two; but I suppose when my lady was thrown in
his way he couldn't resist her rank and her beauty, and the old love was
cast over. It is in the nature of man to be fickle, specially those that
can boast of their own good looks, like Mr. Carlyle."

"Mr. Carlyle's not fickle."

"I can tell you more yet. Two or three days after that, Miss Corny
came up to our house with the news of his marriage. I was in mistress's
bedroom, and they were in the room underneath, the windows open, and
I heard Miss Corny tell the tale, for I was leaning out. Up came Miss
Barbara upon an excuse and flew into her room, and I went into the
corridor. A few moments and I heard a noise--it was a sort of wail,
or groan--and I opened the door softly, fearing she might be fainting.
Joyce, if my heart never ached for anybody before, it ached then. She
was lying upon the floor, her hands writhed together, and her poor face
all white, like one in mortal agony. I'd have given a quarter's wages
to be able to say a word of comfort to her; but I didn't dare interfere
with such sorrow as that. I came out again and shut the door without her
seeing me."

"How thoroughly stupid she must have been!" uttered Joyce, "to go caring
for one who did not care for her."

"I tell you, Joyce, you don't know that he did not care. You are as
obstinate as the justice, and I wish to goodness you wouldn't interrupt
me. They came up here to pay the wedding visit--master, mistress, and
she, came in state in the grand chariot, with the coachman and Jasper.
If you have got any memory at all, you can't fail to recollect it. Miss
Barbar