ecisive as he
is rash. Well, it's a melancholy tit-for-tat."

"What do you mean by tit-for-tat?" cried his father angrily.

"Oh, I mean that--that we tried to hasten Julia's marriage--with the
other fellow, and he is giving us one in return; and you will all agree
that it's a pretty permanent one."

The old soldier recovered himself, and was beside his wife in an
instant. He took her hand. "Don't fret about it, wife," he said; "it's
an ugly business, but we must put up with it. The boy was out of his
head. We are old, now, my dear, but there was a time when we should have
resented such a thing as much as Frank--though not in the same fashion,
perhaps--not in the same fashion." The old man pressed his lips hard to
keep down his emotion.

"Oh, how could he--how could he!" said his mother: "we meant everything
for the best."

"It is always dangerous business meddling with lovers' affairs,"
rejoined Richard. "Lovers take themselves very seriously indeed,
and--well, here the thing is! Now, who will go and fetch her from
Liverpool? I should say that both my father and my mother ought to go."

Thus Richard took it for granted that they would receive Frank's Indian
wife into their home. He intended that, so far as he was concerned,
there should be no doubt upon the question from the beginning.

"Never--she shall never come here!" said Marion, with flashing eyes; "a
common squaw, with greasy hair, and blankets, and big mouth, and black
teeth, who eats with her fingers and grunts! If she does, if she is
brought to Greyhope, I will never show my face in the world again. Frank
married the animal: why does he ship her home to us? Why didn't he come
with her? Why does he not take her to a home of his own? Why should he
send her here, to turn our house into a menagerie?"

Marion drew her skirt back, as if the common squaw, with her blankets
and grease, was at that moment near her.

"Well, you see," continued Richard, "that is just it. As I said, Frank
arranged this little complication with a trifling amount of malice.
No doubt he didn't come with her because he wished to test the family
loyalty and hospitality; but a postscript to this letter says that his
solicitor has instructions to meet his wife at Liverpool, and bring her
on here in case we fail to show her proper courtesy."

General Armour here spoke. "He has carried the war of retaliation very
far indeed, but men do mad things when their blood is up, as I have seen