ished to present this man's message without the
slightest exhibition of desire for its success, and yet without any
tendency to that cold-blooded way of stating it, to which Croft had
objected. He had, indeed, picked up his adversary's sword, and while
he did not wish, in handing it to him, to prick him with it, or do him
some such underhand injury, he did not think it at all necessary to
sharpen the weapon before giving it back.

What Junius had to say occupied a good deal of time. He expressed
himself carefully and deliberately; and as nearly as a skilfully
stuffed and prepared animal in a museum resembles its wild original of
the forest, so did his remarks resemble those that Lawrence would have
made had he been there. Roberta listened to him in silence until he
had finished, and then she rose to her feet, and her manner was
such that Junius rose also. "Junius Keswick," she said, "you have
deliberately come to me, and offered me the hand of another man in
marriage."

"Not that," said Junius, "I merely came to explain----."

"Do not split hairs," she interrupted, "you did exactly that. You came
to me because he could not come himself, and offered him to me. Now go
to him from me, and tell him that I accept him." And, with that, she
swept out of the room, and came down stairs no more until bonneted,
and accompanied by Miss Annie, she hurried to the front door, and
entered the carriage which was there waiting for her, with Peggy by
the driver. With some quick good-byes and kisses to Annie, but never a
word to Junius, or anybody else, she drove away.

If Junius Keswick had been nervous and anxious that morning, as he
strode about the house, waiting for an opportunity to speak to Miss
March, it may well be supposed that Lawrence Croft, shut up in his
little room at the end of the yard, would be more so. He had sat at
his window, waiting, and waiting. He had occasionally seen Mr Keswick
come out on the porch, and with long strides pace backward and
forward, and he knew by that sign that he had yet no message to bring
him. He had seen the Midbranch carriage drive into the yard; he had
seen Miss March come out on the porch, and speak to the driver, and
then go in again; he had seen the carriage driven under a large tree,
where the horses were taken out and led away to be refreshed; in an
hour or more, he saw them brought back and harnessed to the vehicle,
which was turned and driven up again to the door, when some baggag