the presence of Croft,
"probably on Friday, and ask her to spend a week. And, by the way,
sir," she said, turning to her companion, "if you are still in this part
of the country I would be glad to have you ride over and stay a day or
two while Miss March is here. I will have a little party of young folks
in honor of Mrs Null. I have done nothing of the kind for her, so far."

Lawrence said he had no doubt that he would stay at the Green Sulphur a
week or two longer, and that he would be most happy to accept Mrs
Keswick's kind invitation.

They then moved toward the house, but, suddenly stopping, as if she had
just thought of something, Mrs Keswick remarked: "I shall be obliged to
you, sir, if you will not say anything about this little plan of mine,
just now. I have not spoken of it to any one, having scarcely made up my
mind to it, and I suppose I should not have mentioned it to you if we
had not been talking about Midbranch. There is nothing I hate so much as
to have people hear I am going to give them an invitation, or that I am
going to do anything, in fact, before I have fully made up my mind about
it."

Lawrence assured her that he would say nothing on the subject, and she
promised to send him a note to the Green Sulphur, in case she finally
determined on having the little company at her house.

"Now," triumphantly thought Croft, "it matters not what Keswick decides
to do, for I don't need his assistance. An elderly angel in a purple
sun-bonnet has come to my aid. She is about to do ever so much more for
me than I could expect of him, and I prefer her assistance to that of my
rival. Altogether it is the most unexpected piece of good luck."

After breakfast there came to Lawrence the opportunity of a private
conference with Mrs Null. He was standing alone on the porch when she
came out of the door with her hat on and a basket in her hand, and said
she was going to see a very old colored woman who lived in the
neighborhood, who was considered a very interesting personage; and
perhaps he would like to go there with her. Nothing could suit Croft
better than this, and off they started.

As soon as they were outside the yard gate the lady remarked: "I have
been trying hard to give you a chance to talk to me when the others were
not by. I knew you must be perfectly wild to ask me what this all meant;
why I never told you that Mr Keswick was my cousin, and the rest of it."
"I can't say," said Lawrence, "that I am a