ed,
now radiant and joyous, sleek as a humming-bird, with the light in
her eyes, and the rattle on the tip of her tongue; and he felt so
delighted to see her bright and gay and joyous, that he would have
turned his house into the Jardin Mabille, if that were possible.

Lillie had the prettiest little caressing tricks and graces
imaginable; and she perched herself on his knee, and laughed and
chatted so gayly, and pulled his whiskers so saucily, and then,
springing up, began arraying herself in such an astonishing daintiness
of device, and fluttering before him with such a variety of
well-assorted plumage, that John was quite taken off his feet. He
did not care so much whether what she willed to do were, "Wisest,
virtuousest, discreetest, best," as feel that what she wished to do
must be done at any rate.

[Illustration: "She perched herself on his knee."]

"Why, darling!" he said in his rapture; "why didn't you tell me all
this before? Here you have been growing sad and blue, and losing your
vivacity and spirits, and never told me why!"

"I thought it was my duty, John, to try to bear it," said Lillie, with
the sweet look of a virgin saint. "I thought perhaps I should get used
to things in time; and I think it is a wife's duty to accommodate
herself to her husband's circumstances."

"No, it's a husband's duty to accommodate himself to his wife's
wishes," said John. "What's that fellow's address? I'll write to him
about doing our house, forthwith."

"But, John, do pray tell Gracie that it's _your_ wish. I don't want
her to think that it's I that am doing this. Now, pray do think
whether you really want it yourself. You see it must be so natural
for you to like the old things! They must have associations, and I
wouldn't for the world, now, be the one to change them; and, after
all, how silly it was of me to feel blue!"

"Don't say any more, Lillie. Let me see,--next week," he said, taking
out his pocket-book, and looking over his memoranda,--"next week I'll
take you down to Newport; and you write to-day to your mother to meet
you there, and be your guest. I'll write and engage the rooms at
once."

"I don't know what I shall do without you, John."

"Oh, well, I couldn't stay possibly! But I may run down now and then,
for a night, you know."

"Well, we must make that do," said Lillie, with a pensive sigh.

Thus two very important moves on Miss Lillie's checker-board of life
were skilfully made. The house was