, Suzanna?" asked Maizie.

"No, I don't like people around with brass buttons on their coats," said
Suzanna. "And then there'd be so much cleaning we'd never get through."

At the moment came an unmistakable sound.

"The Eagle Man!" cried Suzanna with absolute conviction. "I thought he
was sick."

And indeed it was just exactly the Eagle Man. Straight he came to the
library. He paused in the doorway at sight of the children. All the high
color had faded from his face; he looked alarmingly ill.

"Oh," cried Suzanna, immediately upon sight of him. "We came to see you
and to bring you these daisies."

He accepted them with a little grimace. "Thank you, little girl," he
said. "Put that heavy baby down. He can crawl around."

Suzanna carefully lowered the baby to the floor. He sat with blinking
eyes, so many treasures for his small hands lay within touch.

The Eagle Man spoke. "Who have you been talking with?" he asked as he
looked about suspiciously.

"Oh," cried Suzanna, "there's nobody hidden away. Miss Massey and her
relation went out to see about some lemonade."

"Her relation!" stormed the Eagle Man.

"Yes, the one who loves Miss Massey."

The Eagle Man recovered all his lost color. Watching his terrible
expression, both children thought it a blessing that at this critical
moment Miss Massey and her relation returned. But, oh, it was not the
same Miss Massey, but one who had found the world. Her face was glowing
like a girl's and her eyes sparkled and shone; and when she faced her
father there was manifest in her aspect a certain courage that in his
eyes at least sat strangely upon her.

"Father," she cried, "you should be in bed."

"What's the meaning of all this?" he shouted, ignoring her soft concern.

The new relation came forward. "My dear sir," he began, "I shall have to
ask you to refrain from attempting to intimidate the lady who is to be
my wife."

"Your wife?" exclaimed the Eagle Man turning upon the speaker. "She's my
daughter."

"Granted," said the man calmly, "and she's also my promised wife."

"I shall never give my consent," said the Eagle Man, but his voice had
fallen.

"Then, father," said delicate, timid little Miss Massey, "I shall marry
Robert without your consent."

There was a long heavy silence. The baby having found a gold-plated
lizard on the hearth was contemplating it with wondering eyes.

"Very well," said the Eagle Man at last, trying to speak calmly. "You'll
go y