\"oh, mr. bell,\" said she--and could say no more. but she took his oldgouty hand, and kissed it.

\"e, e; that\"s enough,\" said he, reddening with awkwardness. \"isuppose your aunt shaw will trust you with me. we\"ll go to-morrowmorning, and we shall get there about two o\"clock, i fancy. we\"ll take asnack, and order dinner at the little inn--the lennard arms, it used to

be,--and go and get an appetite in the forest. can you stand it,margaret? it will be a trial, i know, to both of us, but it will be apleasure to me, at least. and there we\"ll dine--it will be but doe-venison,if we can get it at all--and then i\"ll take my nap while you go out and seeold friends. i\"ll give you back safe and sound, barring railway accidents,and i\"ll insure your life for a thousand pounds before starting, whichmay be some fort to your relations; but otherwise, i\"ll bring youback to mrs. shaw by lunch-time on friday. so, if you say yes, i\"ll justgo up-stairs and propose it.\"

\"it\"s no use my trying to say how much i shall like it,\" said margaret,through her tears.

\"well, then, prove your gratitude by keeping those fountains of yoursdry for the next two days. if you don\"t, i shall feel queer myself aboutthe lachrymal ducts, and i don\"t like that.\"

\"i won\"t cry a drop,\" said margaret, winking her eyes to shake the tearsoff her eye-lashes, and forcing a smile.

\"there\"s my good girl. then we\"ll go up-stairs and settle it all.\" margaretwas in a state of almost trembling eagerness, while mr. bell discussedhis plan with her aunt shaw, who was first startled, then doubtful andperplexed, and in the end, yielding rather to the rough force of mr.

bell\"s words than to her own conviction; for to the last, whether it wasright or wrong, proper or improper, she could not settle to her ownsatisfaction, till margaret\"s safe return, the happy fulfilment of theproject, gāve her decision enough to say, \"she was sure it had been āvery kind thought of mr. bell\"s, and just what she herself had beenwishing for margaret, as giving her the very change which she required,after all the anxious time she had had.\"

..t....

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