o her a source of pride; and, considering all things, it
was admirably arranged and handsomely furnished. In the course of
events, she naturally expected that it would become her house--hers
and her boy's. To not only lose it herself, but to have it given to
Suneva without reservation, seemed to Margaret not only a wrong but an
insult. And the L100 a year which had been given with it, was also to
her mind a piece of cruel injustice. She could not help reflecting
that some such kindness to her at her own wedding would have satisfied
Jan, and perhaps altered their whole life. It must be admitted that
her mortification in being only a dependent in the house which she had
ruled, and regarded as her own, was a natural and a bitter one.

At the last, too, the change had come upon her with the suddenness of
a blow from behind. It is true that Peter made no secret of his
courtship, and equally true that the gossips of the town brought very
regular news of its progress to Margaret. But she did not believe her
father would take a step involving so much to them both, without
speaking to her about it. As soon as he did so, she had resolved to
ask him to prepare her own home for her without delay. She had taken
every care of her furniture. It was in perfect order, and as soon as
the house had been again put into cleanly shape, she could remove to
it. The thought of its perfect isolation, and of its independence,
began to appear desirable to her. Day by day she was getting little
articles ready which she would need for her own housekeeping.

In the meantime the summer with all its busy interests kept Peter
constantly at the store. When he was at home, his mind was so full of
"fish takes" and of "curing," that Margaret knew that it would be both
imprudent and useless to name her private affairs. Perhaps his extreme
preoccupation was partly affected in order to avoid the discussion of
unpleasant matters; but if so, Margaret never suspected it. She had
many faults, but she was honest and truthful in all her ways, and she
believed her father would be equally so with her. When the fishing was
over, Peter was always a few weeks employed in counting up his
expenses and his gains. October and part of November had been from her
girlhood regarded as a critical time; a time when on no account he was
to be troubled about household matters. But when November was nearly
over, then Margaret determined to open the subject of the reported
marriage t