d so perhaps ruin Captain Stubbard and his family. And his wife has
made such pretty things for us. If he knew what he had done, he would go
and shoot himself. He is so excessively humane and kind."

"We will not urge his humanity to that extreme. I hate all mystery, as
you know well. But about this affair I will say nothing, unless there is
cause to do so, at least until father comes back; and then I shall tell
him if it seems to be my duty."

"It won't be your duty, it can't be your duty, to get good people into
trouble, Faith. I find it my duty to keep out of trouble, and I like to
treat others the same as myself."

"You are such a lover of duty, dear Dolly, because everything you
like becomes your duty. And now your next duty is to your dinner. Mrs.
Twemlow is coming--I forgot to tell you--as well as Eliza, and Mrs.
Stubbard. And if Johnny comes home in time from Harrow, to be Jack among
the ladies, we shall hear some wonders, you may be quite sure."

"Oh, I vow, I forgot all about that wicked Johnny. What a blessing that
he was not here just now! It is my black Monday when his holidays begin.
Instead of getting steadier, he grows more plaguesome. And the wonder of
it is that he would tie your kid shoes; while he pulls out my jaconet,
and sits on my French hat. How I wish he was old enough for his
commission! To-morrow he will be dancing in and out of every cottage,
boat, or gun, or rabbit-hole, and nothing shall be hidden from his eyes
and ears. Let him come. 'I am accustomed to have all things go awry,'
as somebody says in some tragedy. The only chance is to make him fall
in love, deeply in love, with Miss Stubbard. He did it with somebody for
his Easter week, and became as harmless as a sucking dove, till he found
his nymph eating onions raw with a pocketful of boiled limpets. Maggie
Stubbard is too perfect in her style for that. She is twelve years old,
and has lots of hair, and eyes as large as oysters. I shall introduce
Johnny to-morrow, and hope to keep him melancholy all his holidays."

"Perhaps it will be for his good," said Faith, "because, without some
high ideas, he gets into such dreadful scrapes; and certainly it will be
for our good."

After making light of young love thus, these girls deserved the shafts
of Cupid, in addition to Captain Stubbard's shells. And it would have
been hard to find fairer marks when they came down dressed for dinner.
Mrs. Twemlow arrived with her daughter Eliza, but wit