Aunt Mary raised up in bed,—her eyes sparkling.

"Jack," she said, almost quivering with excitement, "_are_ you in love
with her?"

"Yes, I am," he owned, wondering what would come next, but feeling that
the tide was all his way.

Aunt Mary collapsed with a joyful sigh.

"My heavens alive," she said rapturously, "seems like it’s too good to be
true! Jack," she continued solemnly, "if you’re in love with her you shall
marry her. If there’s any way to keep a girl like that in the family I
guess I ain’t goin’ to let her slip through my fingers not while I’ve got
a live nephew. You shall marry her an’ I’ll buy you a house in New York
and come an’ live with you."

Jack sat silent, but smiling.

"Do you think she will want to marry me?" he asked presently.

"You go and bring her to me," said the old lady vigorously. "I’ll soon
find out. Just tell her I want to speak to her—don’t tell her what about.
That ain’t none of your business an’ I’m a great believer in people’s not
interfering in what’s none of their business. You just get her and then
leave her to me."

Jack went and found Janice. He was sufficiently mean not to tell her what
had happened, and Janice—being built on a different plan from Lucinda—had
not kept near enough to the keyhole to be posted anyway.