again while you dress my hair."

Minny obeyed.

"Minny, I wonder if it's as delightful to be a wife as it is to have a
lover?"

"It seems strange to hear you talking about either, Miss."

"Why, Minny, I am old enough, I am sure."

"Yes, but you seem so very young; no one thinks about your being married
yet."

"Mother does."

"Not to this man, Miss Della. For worlds I wouldn't dictate; but, Miss,
if all this secresy and deceit ends as it seems it will, isn't it going
to break your mother's heart?"

"I expect so, Minny; every mother's heart is broken when her daughter
gets married; but it heals up always, and is as good as ever."

Oh! Della, Della!

"But, Miss, when she finds how deceitful you have been, after all her
doting kindness, and love, and--"

"Don't be tiresome, Minny. Deceitful! oh, that's awful--you know I never
was deceitful."

"No, no! There, don't cry! Call it secresy or anything; but when it is
discovered, I say, think what a house of misery this will be."

"Well, Minny, if there's misery it won't be my fault, I'm sure. You know
very well that papa wouldn't have me notice Bernard, much more than I
would Black Voltaire. If he would, don't you suppose I would be very
glad to show him all my letters, and to tell him how we love each other,
and all that? But now, if I did, he'd rave, and go into a furious
passion, shut me up, maybe, and send Bernard to Europe, or some other
horrid place. Oh, I should be frightened to death."

"That's the very thing, Miss; he looks so high for you."

"Bernard is just as high as papa was when he first came here,--but
there's another thing; don't you know I'm not allowed to see any one an
instant alone, that wears pantaloons? The very instant that a gentleman
calls, and says he'd like to see Miss Della, doesn't papa or mamma, or
that provoking old governess, march straight into the parlor, and
receive them before me? And isn't it very provoking? Why, even little
Charley Devans, a boy three years younger than I, called to tell me a
little innocent secret his sister had sent by him, and wasn't there
mamma, as straight as a marshal, in one chair, and my governess, stiff
as my new parasol-top, in the other, and he couldn't say a word? But you
know he met me in the street that day you walked out with me, and told
me all about it."

"Yes, Miss, but this is all for your good."

"No, Minny, it is all for my hurt. Though, maybe, they don't know it.
Now, don't you s