Henry, it was with a piteous mingling of gratitude and
appeal. She appeared to regard Madeline with a bewilderment that
increased rather than decreased from day to day. Instead of becoming
familiar with the transformation, the wonder of it evidently grew on her.
The girl's old, buoyant spirits, which had returned in full flow, seemed
to shock and pain her mother with a sense of incongruity she could not
get over. When Madeline treated her lover to an exhibition of her old
imperious tyrannical ways, which to see again was to him sweeter than the
return of day, her mother appeared frightened, and would try feebly to
check her, and address little deprecating remarks to Henry that were very
sad to hear. One evening, when he came in in the twilight, he saw
Madeline sitting with "her baby," as she had again taken to calling her
mother, in her arms, rocking and soothing her, while the old lady was
drying and sobbing on her daughter's bosom.

"She mopes, poor little mother!" said Madeline to Henry. "I can't think
what's the matter with her. We'll take her off with us on our wedding
trip. She needs a little change."

"Dear me, no, that will never do," protested the little woman, with her
usual half-frightened look at Henry. "Mr. Burr wouldn't think that nice
at all."

"I mean that Mr. Burr shall be too much occupied in thinking how nice I
am to do any other thinking," said Madeline.

"That's like the dress you wore to the picnic at Hemlock Hollow," said
Henry.

"Why, no, it isn't either. It only looks a little like it. It's light,
and cut the same way; that's all the resemblance; but of course a man
couldn't be expected to know any better."

"It's exactly like it," maintained Henry.

"What'll you bet?"

"I'll bet the prettiest pair of bracelets I can find in the city."

"Betting is wicked," said Madeline, "and so I suppose it's my duty to
take this bet just to discourage you from betting any more. Being engaged
makes a girl responsible for a young man's moral culture."

She left the room, and returned in a few moments with the veritable
picnic dress on.

"There!" she said, as she stepped before the mirror.

"Ah, that's it, that's it! I give in," he exclaimed, regarding her
ecstatically. "How pretty you were that day! I'd never seen you so pretty
before. Do you remember that was the day I kissed you first? I should
never have dared to. I just had to--I couldn't help it."

"So I believe you said at the time," obse