party, and he talked so much to me, that Albert began to laugh at me;
but Albert always laughs. I did not care till--till--that day when he
walked with us in the park, coming home from fishing.'

Her voice died away, and her face burnt as she looked down; but a few
words of interest led her on.

'When I told mamma, she said most likely he thought me a little girl
who didn't signify; but I did not think he could, for I am the tallest
of them all, and every one says I look as if I was seventeen, at least.
And then she told me grand gentlemen and officers didn't care what
nonsense they talked. You know she didn't know him so well then,' said
Violet, looking up pleadingly.

'She was very prudent.'

'She could not know he did not deserve it,' said the young bride, ready
to resent it for her husband, since his brother did not, then again
excusing her mother. 'It was all her care for me, dear mamma! She
told me not to think about it; but I could not help it! Indeed I could
not!'

'No, indeed,' and painful recollections of his own pressed on him, but
he could not help being glad this tender young heart was not left to
pine under disappointment. 'How long ago was this?'

'That was six weeks ago--a month before our wedding-day,' said she,
blushingly. 'I did wish it could have been longer. I wanted to learn,
how to keep house, and I never could, for he was always coming to take
me to walk in the park. And it all happened so fast, I had no time to