m; and we are old friends of his. We could tell you a great deal
about him."

"Elmfield is a pretty place," said Gertrude. She had been eyeing her
companion while Diana was receiving the confidences of the trees.

"Lovely!"

"If it didn't grow so cold in winter," said the young lady, shrugging
her airy shoulders.

"I like the cold."

"I should like to have it always hot enough to wear muslin dresses.
Come, sit down. Evan put these seats here."

But Diana continued standing.

"Did you hear that woman scolding because he don't stay here and give
up his army life?"

"She takes her own view of it," said Diana.

"Do _you_ think he ought to give up everything to take care of his
grandfather?"

"I daresay his grandfather likes to have him do as he is doing."

"But it must be awfully hard, mustn't it, for them to have him so far
away, and fighting the Indians?"

"Is he fighting the Indians?" Diana asked quietly; though she made the
words quiet, she knew, by sheer force of necessity. But quiet they
were; slow, and showing no eagerness; while her pulse had made one mad
jump, and then seemed to stand still.

"O, the Indians are always making trouble, you know, on the frontier;
that's what our men are there for, to watch them. I didn't mean that
Evan was fighting just at this minute; but he might be, any minute.
Shouldn't you feel bad if he was your brother?"

"Mrs. Reverdy doesn't seem to be uneasy."

"She? no," said Gertrude with a laugh; "nothing makes _her_ uneasy.
Except thinking that Evan has fallen in love with somebody."

"She must expect that sooner or later," said Diana, with a calmness
which told her companion nothing.

"Ah, but she would rather have it later. She don't want to lose Evan.
She is very proud of him."

"Would she lose him in such a case?" Diana asked, smiling, though she
wished the talk ended.

"Why, you know brothers are good for nothing to sisters after they are
married--worse! they are tantalizing. You are obliged to see what you
used to have in somebody else's possession--and much more than ever you
used to have; and it's tiresome. I'm glad I've no brothers. Basil is a
good deal like a brother, and I am jealous of _him_."

"It must be very uncomfortable to be jealous," said Diana,

"Horrid! You saw a good deal of Evan, didn't you?"

A question that might have embarrassed Diana if she had not had an
instant perception of the intent of it. She answered thereupon with
absolute