ured only on those laborious sighs which she jerked up from
the bottom of her honest little heart.

Archie heard the sigh, and felt ashamed of his bad temper. He did not
know himself why he felt so suddenly cross; some secret irritation was
at work within him, and he could scarcely refrain from bidding Mattie
quite roughly to hold her tongue and not tease him with her chatter.
If she expected him in his present state of mind, which was at once
contradictory and aggressive, to talk to her about the Challoners, she
must just make up her mind to be disappointed, for he could not bring
himself to speak of them to her just now: he wanted to hold counsel
with his own thoughts and with Grace. He would call at the Friary
again and see Mrs. Challoner, and find out more of this strange
matter; but as to talking it over with Mattie, he quite shrugged his
shoulders as he swung open the green door.

"Are you going in?" faltered Mattie, as she noticed this movement.

"Well, yes; I have letters to write, and it is too hot for a longer
walk," he returned, decidedly; and then, as Mattie stood hesitating
and wistful in the middle of the road, he strode off, leaving the door
to close noisily after him, and not caring to inquire into her further
movements, such being the occasional graceless manners of brothers
when sisterly friendship is not to their liking.

Mattie felt snubbed; but for the first time in her life, she did not
take her snubbing meekly. It was too much to expect of her, who was
only a woman and not one of Archie's divinities, that she should
follow him into the house and hold her tongue just because he was
pleased to refrain from speaking. Water must find its vent; and
Mattie's tongue could not be silenced in this way. If Archie would not
talk to her, Miss Middleton would: so at once she trotted off for
Brooklyn, thereby incurring Archie's wrath if he could only have known
her purpose; for gossip was to him as the sin of witchcraft, unless he
stooped to it himself, and then it was amiable sociability.

Miss Middleton was listening to her father's reading as usual, but she
welcomed Mattie with open arms, literally as well as metaphorically,
for she kissed Mattie on either cheek, and then scolded her tenderly
for looking so flushed and tired; "for somebody who is always looking
after other people, and never has time to spare for herself, is
growing quite thin; is she not, father? and we must write to Grace if
this goes