ll doubtless be
surprised by the purport of this letter; as by
the communication I feel myself impelled to make
to you--"

Mrs Bosenna, mildly surprised, in truth, turned the epistle over.
It was signed--

"Your obedient servant,

"CAIUS HOCKEN."

She drew the first letter from her bodice. After the perusal of its
first few sentences her cheeks put on a rosy glow.

But of a sudden she started, turned to the first letter again, and
spread it on her lap.

"Well, if I ever!" breathed she, after a pause.

"A proposal! I knew it was!" cried Dinah, swinging about from the oven
door.

Mrs Bosenna, if she heard, did not seem to hear. She was holding up
both letters in turn, staring from the one to the other incredulously.
Her roseal colour came and went.

"Them and their parrots! I'll teach 'em!"

Before Dinah could ask what was the matter, a bell sounded. It was the
front door bell, which rang just within the porch.

Dinah smoothed her apron and bustled forth. It had always been her
grievance--and her mistress shared it--against the nameless architect of
Rilla farmstead, that he had made its long kitchen window face upon the
strawyard, whereas a sensible man would have designed it to command the
front door in flank, with its approaches. This mistake of his cost
Dinah a circuit by way of the apple-room every time she answered the
porch bell; for as little as any porter of old in a border fortress
would she have dreamed of admitting a visitor without first making
reconnaissance.

A minute later she ran back and thrust her head in at the kitchen-door.

"Mistress," she whispered excitedly, "it's _them!_"

"Oh!" exclaimed Mrs Bosenna, as the bell jangled again. "They seem in a
hurry, too." She smiled, and the smile, if the curve of her mouth
forbade it to be grim, at any rate expressed decision. She picked up
the two letters and slipped them into her pocket. "You can show them
in."

"Where, mistress?"

"Here. And, Dinah, nothing about the post, mind! Now, run!"

CHAPTER XVII.

APPARENTLY DIVIDES INTO THREE.

"You'll pardon us, ma'am, for calling so early," began Cai. He was too
far embarrassed to be conscious of any surprise at being ushered into
the kitchen.

"--You do the apologisin', of course," had been 'Bias's words in the
front porch. "Yours was the first letter written: and, besides, you're
a speaker."

"You are quite welcome, the both of you," Mrs Bos