hy, what's happened?"

"You've just missed Hugo, mamma."

"_Hugo!_" said mamma, paling and almost falling backward. "He's _been_
here?"

In her daughter's blue eyes there lingered that gleaming exultation, not
completely softened as yet by the sweeter and now due love-light.

"He wants me to marry him next month."

"Oh, _Cally!_..."

Fairly tumbling forward from the door, Mrs. Heth gathered her daughter
in a convulsive bear-hug, murmuring ecstatic nothings. Little she
thought of Settlements or picayunish donations now.

"Oh, Cally!... Mamma's so happy for you, dear child!... And me never
dreaming he was within a thousand miles! All's well that ends well, _I_
say!... When'd he come? I'm wild to see him. Where's he staying? Will he
be back this evening?"

She drew away from her unwonted demonstration, leaving her hands on
Cally's shoulders, and the two women looked at each other, both a little
flushed with excitement.

"He's at the Arlington, to stay only till to-morrow," said she, "and
he's coming in after dinner to see you and papa."

"Oh!... He insists on not seeing you, I suppose?" fleered mamma, with
enormous archness.

"I won't be here, you see. I'm going to the theatre--Mr. Avery's
getting up a party."

Mrs. Heth showed as much surprise as the jubilation of her countenance
could accommodate.

"Why, my dear child! Break it, of course! I'll telephone him myself--a
friend from out of town--"

"But I don't want to break it, you see!" said Carlisle, laughing
brightly. "He can't expect to drop in after months and months and find
us all twirling our thumbs on the doorstep, you know!"

"But you're _engaged to him.'_"

"I should hope _not!_... Why, _mamma!_ You must think I'm
frightfully--die-away!... I'm _disciplining_ him, don't you see? I'm not
going to make it too easy for him!"

"Oh!... I see!"

Perhaps she did not see exactly, and certainly she did not believe in
manufacturing sporting chances in the most momentous matter in the
world. But then neither did Cally, she well knew; and of her daughter's
victorious skill in the matter of managing men, she had had many proofs,
and now this crowning one. Lovers' coynesses mattered little in the face
of the supreme fact of Canning's return.

"Well! You'll give him the whole day to-morrow, of course!... And don't
you be too hard on the dear fellow, Cally. His coming back shows he's
been disciplined.... How the cats will open their eyes!"

"Probably.