"And now don't you go home to-night, stay all night and I'll talk to
father," planned Mrs. West, briskly; "as Marjorie would say, Giant
Despair will get Diffidence his wife to bed and they will talk
the matter over. She doesn't read _Pilgrim's Progress_ as much as she
used to, but she calls you Mercy yet. And you are a mercy to us."
With the tears rolling down her cheeks the mother stooped over and kissed
the lover of her girls.
"Mr. Holmes is coming to see Marjorie to-night, he hasn't called since
her accident, and to talk to father, he likes to argue with him, and it
will be pleasanter to have you here. And Will Rheid is home from a
voyage, and he'll be running in. It must be lonesome for you over there
on the Point. It used to be for me when I was a girl."
"But I'm not a girl," smiled Miss Prudence.
"You'll pass for one any day. And you can play and make it lively. I am
not urging you with disinterested motives."
"I can see through you; and I _am_ anxious to know how Mr. West will
receive my proposal."
"He will see through my eyes in the end, but he always likes to argue a
while first. I want you to taste Linnet's cream biscuit, too. She made
them on purpose for you. There's father, now, coming with African John,
and there _is_ Will Rheid coming across lots. Well, I'm glad Linnet did
make the biscuits."
Miss Prudence arose with a happy face, she did not go back to the girls
at once, there was a nook to be quiet in at the foot of the kitchen
garden, and she felt as if she must be alone awhile.
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