If Junius Keswick had been nervous and anxious that morning, as he strode about the house, waiting for an opportunity to speak to Miss March, it may well be supposed that Lawrence Croft, shut up in his little room at the end of the yard, would be more so.  He had sat at his window, waiting, and waiting.  He had occasionally seen Mr Keswick come out on the porch, and with long strides pace backward and forward, and he knew by that sign that he had yet no message to bring him.  He had seen the Midbranch carriage drive into the yard; he had seen Miss March come out on the porch, and speak to the driver, and then go in again; he had seen the carriage driven under a large tree, where the horses were taken out and led away to be refreshed; in an hour or more, he saw them brought back and harnessed to the vehicle, which was turned and driven up again to the door, when some baggage was brought down and strapped on a little platform behind.  Shortly afterwards Peggy came round the end of the house, with a hat on, and a little bundle under her arm, and approached the carriage, making, however, a wide turn toward the office, at which, and a mile or two beyond, her far-off gaze was steadily directed.

Lawrence threw up the sash and called to her, and his guardian imp approached the window.  “Are you Miss March’s maid?  I think I have seen you at Midbranch.”

“Yaas, sah, you’s done seen me, offen,” said Peggy.

“Does Miss March intend to start immediately?” he asked.

“Yaas, sah,” said the good Peggy, “she’ll be out in a minute, soon as she done kissin’ Mah’s Junius good-bye in de parlor.”  And then, noticing a look of astonishment on the gentleman’s face, she added:  “Dey’s gwine to be mar’ed, Chris’mus.”

“What!” exclaimed Lawrence.

“Good-bye, Mister Crof,’” said Peggy, “I’s got to hurry up.”

Lawrence made no answer, but mechanically tossed her a coin, which, picking up, she gave him a farewell grin, and hastened to take her seat by the driver.

Very soon afterward Lawrence saw Roberta come out, accompanied only by Mrs Null, and hurry down the steps.  Forgetting his injured ankle, he sprang to his feet, and stepping quickly to the door, opened it, and stood on the threshold.  But Miss March did not even look his way.  He gazed at her with wide-open eyes as she hastily kissed Mrs Null, and sprang into the carriage, which was immediately driven off.  As Mrs Null turned to go into the house, she looked toward the office and nodded to him.  He believed that she would have come to him if he had called her, but he did not call.  His mind was in such a condition that he would not have been capable of framing a question, had she come.  He felt that he could speak to no one until he had seen Keswick.  Closing the door he went back to his chair; and as he did so, his ankle pained him sadly, but of this he scarcely thought.

He did not have to wait long for Junius Keswick, for in about ten minutes that individual entered.  Lawrence turned, as his visitor opened the door; and he saw a countenance which had undergone a very noticeable change.  It was not dark or lowering; it was not pale; but it was gray and hard; and the eyes looked larger than Lawrence had remembered them.