easy. Nothing short of an accident to the
children could, in his opinion, have warranted so vehement a call. Yet
Barbara, as he examines her features carefully, seems all joyous
excitement. After a short contemplation of her beaming face he tell
himself that he was an ass to give up that pilgrimage of his to the
lower field, where he had been going to inspect a new-born calf.

"The skys are all right," says he, with an upward glance at them through
the window. "And--you hadn't another uncle, had you?"

"Oh, Freddy," says she, very justly disgusted.

"Well, my good child, what then? I'm all curiosity."

"Guess," says she, too happy to be able to give him the round scolding
he deserves.

"Oh! if it's a riddle," says he, "you might remember I am only a little
one, and unequal to the great things of life."

"Ah! but, Freddy, I've something delicious to tell you. There sit down
there, you look quite queer, while I----"

"No wonder I do," says he, at last rather wrathfully. "To judge by your
wild gesticulations at the window just now, any one might have imagined
that the house was on fire and a hostile race tearing en masse into the
back yard. And now--why, it appears you are quite pleased about
something or other. Really such disappointments are enough to age any
man--or make him look 'queer,' that was the word you used, I think?"

"Listen," says she, seating herself beside him, and flipping her arm
around his neck. "Joyce is going to marry Felix--after all. There!"
Still with her arm holding him, she leans back a little to mark the
effect of this astonishing disclosure.

CHAPTER LIV.

"Well said; that was laid on with a trowel."

"Gratiano speaks an infinite deal of nothing, more than any man in
all Venice."

"After all, indeed; you may well say that," says Mr. Monkton, with
indignation. "If those two idiots meant matrimony all along, why on
earth didn't they do it all before. See what a lot of time they've lost,
and what a disgraceful amount of trouble they have given all round."

"Yes, yes, of course. But then you see, Freddy, it takes some time to
make up one's mind about such an important matter as that."

"It didn't take you long," says Mr. Monkton most unwisely.

"It took me a great deal longer than it took you," replies his wife with
dignity. "You have always said that it was the very first day you ever
saw me--and I'm sure it took me quite a week!"

This lucid speech she delive