"To be sure, he was not at all like Harry--she could never find one

who was--but he was so tall, so dignified, so grand, so particular,

that it seemed almost like stooping, for one in his position to

think of her, and she liked him all the better for his

condescension."

Thus she ever reasoned, and when Janet said that he was coming, and

she, too, heard his step upon the piazza, the bright blushes broke

over her youthful face, and casting a hurried glance at the mirror,

she hastened out to meet him.

"Matty, my dear!" he said, and his thin lips touched her glowing

cheek, but in his cold gray eye there shone no love,--no feeling,--

no heart.

He was too supremely selfish to esteem another higher than himself,

and though it flattered him to know that the young creature was so

glad to meet him, it awoke no answering chord, and he merely thought

that with her to minister to him he should possibly be happier than

he had been with her predecessor.

"You must be very tired," she said, as she led the way into the cozy

parlor. Then, seating him in the easy chair near to the open window,

she continued: "How warm you are. What made you walk this sultry

afternoon?"

"It is a maxim of mine never to ride when I can walk," said he, "for

I don't believe in humoring those omnibus drivers by paying their

exorbitant prices."

"Two shillings surely is not an exorbitant price," trembled on Mrs.

Remington's lips, but she was prevented from saying so by his asking

"if everything were in readiness for the morrow."

"Yes, everything," she replied. "The cottage is sold, and--"

"Ah, indeed, sold!" said he, interrupting her. "If I mistake not you

told me, when I met you in Rome, that it was left by will to you.

May I, as your to-morrow's husband, ask how much you received for

it?" And he unbent his dignity so far as to wind his arm around her

waist.

But the arm was involuntarily withdrawn when, with her usual

frankness, Matty replied; "I received a thousand dollars, but there

were debts to be paid, so that I had only five hundred left, and

this I made over to my daughter to be used for her education."

Dr. Kennedy did not say that he was disappointed, and as Matty was

not much of a physiognomist she did not read it in his face, and she

continued: "Janet will remain here a while, to arrange matters,

before joining me in my new home. She wished me to leave my little

girl to come with her, but I can't do that. I must have my child

with me. You've never seen her, have you? I'll call her at once."

And stepping to the door she bade Janet bring "Maude" into the

parlor.




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