nt picture which her imagination
conjured. Poor Tom! how would he bear it? She comforted herself a
little with the thought that he would be quite certain now to accept
the offer of that situation abroad of which he had spoken, and she
would not be vexed by the sight of his unhappiness.

"I must not let him meet me on Sunday night. I must write and tell him
that Dixon and I have settled it, and that he must not mind too much,"
thought Rose.

The letter was not an easy one to write, and Rose shelved it. She had
a way of shelving unpleasant subjects; but when Saturday night came she
could put it off no longer, so, fetching down her writing-case, she
spoiled a dozen sheets of paper in the effort to make her news fairly
palatable, finally dashing off an unsatisfactory scrawl, badly written
and lamely expressed; and, having folded and directed it, she flew out
into the yard to find a messenger to take it. The first who presented
himself was the groom.

"It would be doing me a real favour if you would let Burney have this
note to-night," she said. "It's very particular;" and with the note
she shoved sixpence into the man's hand.

He laughed as he pocketed the coin, and was laughing still when he went
back into the saddle-room, where Dixon sat smoking over the fire.

"What's the joke, mate?"

"A note from your girl to Burney--'very particular' she called it!
I'll warrant it's to tell him he'd better not come this way any more."

"I dare say it is," replied Dixon, slowly. "Hand it over; I'm going
down to the village, and I'll leave it myself."

The groom hesitated. "I think I'll stick to it; she gave me sixpence
to make sure he got it, and I wouldn't like to cheat her."

"Stick to the sixpence but give me the letter. Who's a better right to
it than I, I should like to know? I'm as good as married already,"
said Dixon, stretching out his hand.

"You'll promise not to forget."

"I'm not one as forgets," said Dixon, with an odd laugh.

"And if there's any mistake you'll settle it?"

"Yes; I'll settle it."

The groom gave the note and went out whistling; he was not quite easy
in his mind about the missive. Left to himself, Dixon turned the
envelope round in his fingers, examining it back and front. The
blotted writing gave evidence of hurry, the blistered paper testified
to tears, and Dixon broke into an oath.

"The little jade!--that's the second time she's cried about him this
week to my certain know