nging her ladle down upon
the brick hearth. "Now is I ready to die when my time comes, fur Mahs'
Junius 'll have dis farm, an' de house, an' de cabins, an' dey won't
go to no strahnger from de Norf."

"Amen," said Peggy. "An' Aun' Judy, dat ar piece ob pie ain't no 'count
to nobuddy."

"You kin hab it, chile," said Aunt Judy, rising, and taking from a shelf
a large piece of cold apple pie, "an' bressed be de foots ob dem wot
fotch good tidin's."

Junius Keswick did not see Miss Roberta again that day, and early in the
morning he borrowed one of the Midbranch horses, and rode away. He did
not wish to be at the house when Mr Croft should come; and, besides, he
was very anxious and disturbed in regard to matters at the Keswick farm.
Of all places in the world why should Mr Brandon go there?

It was not a very pleasant ride that Junius Keswick took that morning.
He had anxieties in regard to what he would meet with at his aunt's
house, and he had even greater anxieties as to what he was leaving
behind him at Midbranch. It was quite evident that Roberta was angry
with him, and this was enough to sadden the soul of a man who loved her
as he loved her, who would have married her at any moment, in spite of
all opposition, all threats, all curses. He was not in the habit of
looking at himself after the manner of Lawrence Croft, but on this
occasion he could not help a little self-survey.

Was it a purely disinterested motive he asked himself, that took him
over to the Springs to bring back Lawrence Croft? Did he not believe in
his soul that Roberta would never have spoken so freely to him in regard
to what the gentleman from the North would probably say to her if she
had not intended to decline that gentleman's offer? And was there not a
wish in his heart that this matter might be definitely and
satisfactorily settled before Roberta and Mr Croft went to New York for
the winter? He could not deny that this issue to the affair had been in
his mind; and yet he felt that he could conscientiously assure himself
that if he had thought things would turn out otherwise, he still would
have endeavored to make the man perform the duty expected of him by
Roberta, in whose service Junius always felt himself to be. But,
apparently, he had not benefited himself or anybody else, except,
perhaps, Croft, by this service which he had performed.

It was late in the forenoon when Junius met Mr Brandon returning to
Midbranch. In answer to his