shall have to live with him as his mistress?"

"A great deal of good. Your position will be secured. Willy will not
be able to leave you, even if he felt inclined, and you will know that
only one life, that of an old man, stands between you and fifteen
hundred a year."

"I want no assurance that my dear Willy will not leave me," she said,
going over and putting her arms about him; "but as you like. I shall
never say anything about the marriage till Willy tells me. I hope I
shall never do anything but what he tells me." And she went over and
sat on his knees.

"You are a dear old thing," he said, squeezing and planting a vigorous
kiss on her neck.

Frank's eyes filled with hot tears, his heart seemed like bursting.
"What a beautiful thing love is!" he said to himself, and the world
melted away from him in the happiness he drew from the contemplation
of these who were about to bind themselves together for life.

"Be most careful what you say to my sisters. I would not trust them.
The temptation to get me cut out of everything might--I ought not to
say that, but one never knows. I dare say no such accident could
happen to any one else, but if I leave the smallest thing to chance I
am sure to come to grief. They will question you. They will want to
know what we did all day."

"I'll say we sat on the beach."
"That's it. Good-bye. I shall be home the day after to-morrow."