.

"Glorying!" said Margaret, with a sudden drop in her voice. "Well, we
will say no more about it," she added.

"Excuse me, we will say plenty more. I would do a great deal to keep you
here, there's no doubt of that. If I must, I must, I suppose! You may
have the place--though I'm fond of it still."

"It must be quite fair?" she said, looking at him hesitatingly.

"You mean that I am not to come back and hang about in the neighborhood?
Oh, rest content; I've had enough of the Seminole for a lifetime."

"I presume you will be in a hurry," he went on. "You will expect to have
the deeds made out to-morrow."

"Yes, I should rather have it done soon."

"Of course.--How you hate me!" He rose.

She did not speak.

"But I'm not surprised--stubborn fool, ineffable prig as I must have
seemed to you all these years! Take the place. And I'll go."

The gate clicked, Celestine was coming towards them.

"But though I acknowledge my own faults, don't imagine I admire such
perfection as _you_ always exhibit," he went on. "It's too much, you're
too faultless; some small trace of womanly humility would be a relief,
sometimes." He left the garden. Celestine, coming up, found her patient
looking anything but rested. The next moment she put her hand over her
eyes, physical weakness had conquered her.

"Just what I expected, men haven't a spark of gumption," said Celestine,
indignantly. "He might have seen you weren't fit for talking; anybody
could have seen. There, Miss Margaret, there; don't feel so bad, you'll
soon be stronger now." And Celestine put one arm round her charge
tenderly.

The touch made Margaret's tears flow faster; leaning her head against
her faithful New England friend, she cried and cried as if her heart
would break.

"You're clean tuckered out, I declare," said Celestine, half crying
herself. "Everybody plagues you--I never see the beat! And they all seem
to think they've got a right to. Just get real mad, now, Miss Margaret,
for once; and _stay_ so. My! wouldn't they be surprised?"

This was three months before. Margaret was now the owner of East Angels.

On the evening when she had returned from the landing with her ferns,
and had found Dr. Kirby talking with Aunt Katrina, she went to her own
room; here she threw off the long, closely fitting over-garment of dark
silk, and gave it and the Gainsborough hat to her maid; she had a maid
now.

"If you please, Mrs. Harold, there are five letters for you