ou to be sure you didn't prefer one of them. And when
accident had put you very near me, I did manage not to lose my head and
speak, while you were, in a way, under my protection, for that would
have been brutal. But Heaven knows--and Miss Woodburn knows--that I
came mighty near it once or twice. I'm thankful I didn't. Now you know
the best and worst of the other sort of man, and the best and worst of
me. You see the kind of people whose blood runs in my veins, and still
you are ready to say that my people shall be your people. I'm not
afraid of anything that can happen now."

"You needn't be," I said, slipping my other hand into his--for he had
one of them already. "Mother may be vexed with me for going against her
wishes, but she will have to forgive me--or even if she doesn't, I
shall have you."

"I think she will forgive you, darling," said Jim. "I will make her
forgive you."

"I believe you could make anybody do anything!" I cried. "Sally will be
glad about this, I know. I can see now that she must always have hoped
for it to happen, though I didn't realise what she meant at the time.
But we had _such_ a talk in the Park the day we met you, about marrying
for love. And she advised me that it was the only thing to do. Oh, I am
sorry for everybody who isn't in love, aren't you? And that reminds me,
I must try and make dear little Patty in love with Mr. Walker. You'll
help me, won't you?"

The rest of the day was perfectly divine, and it is almost as
delightful to live it over again as I am doing now, in writing the
story of it, after we have said good-night.

We forgot all about going back to the house, until some one came out
and rang the bell for tea in the field, where we couldn't help hearing.
Then we told the cousins our news, and they were immensely pleased.
They seemed to think that Jim and I were made for each other, and Mrs.
Trowbridge said she had seen that it was coming, all along.

After tea we walked over to call on Sally, and she was just as glad as
I thought she would be.

"You are going to marry one of the finest fellows on earth, I believe,"
said she, "and I congratulate you as well as him."

I do love Sally!

XX

ABOUT JIM AND THE DUKE

It was a very different waking up the next day. My first thought was:
"Can it be really true or is it only a dream that I'm engaged to Jim?"
And I almost cried for joy when I was quite sure it was true.

We both wrote letters to my mother, and