“‘Cassandra Somers! now tell her,’ he whispered, turning me gently from him, with a hand precisely like Ben’s.”

“No, it is handsomer,” I muttered.

“Before me was a space of sea.  Before I crossed I wanted to hear that wild music; but your voice broke my dream.”

She sat up and unbuttoned her sleeve. As I live, there was a red mark on her arm above her elbow!

I crushed my hands together and set my teeth, for I would have kissed the mark and washed it with my tears.  But Verry must not be agitated now.  She divined my feelings for the first time in her life.  “I have indeed been in a long sleep, as far you are concerned; this means something.  My blindness is removed by a dream.  Do you despise me?” Two large, limpid tears dropped down her smooth cheeks without ruffling the expression of her face.

“I have prided myself upon my delicacy of feeling.  You may have remarked that I considered myself your superior?”

“You are all wrong.  I have no delicate feelings at all; they are as coarse and fibrous as the husk of a cocoanut.  Do for heaven’s sake get up and let me dress you.”

She burst into laughter.  “Bring me some water, then.”

I brought her a bowl full, and stood near her with a towel; but she splashed it over me, and dribbled her hands in it till I was in despair.  I took it away and wiped her face, which looked at me so childly, so elfish, so willful, and so tenderly, that I took it between my hands and kissed it.  I pulled her up to a chair, for she was growing willful every moment; but she must be humored.  I combed her hair, put on her shoes and stockings, and in short dressed her.  Father came up and begged me to hurry, as everybody had come.  I sent him for Ben, who came with a pale, happy face and shining eyes.  She looked at him seriously.  “I like you best,” she said.

“It is time you said that.  Oh, Verry! how lovely you are!”

“I feel so.”

“Come, come,” urged father.

“I do not want these gloves,” she said, dropping them.

Ben slipped on the third finger of her left hand a plain ring.  She kissed it, and he looked as if about to be translated.

“Forever, Verry?”

“Forever.”

“Wait a moment,” I said, “I want a collar,” giving a glance into the glass.  What a starved, thin, haggard face I saw, with its border of pale hair!  Whose were those wide, pitiful, robbed eyes?

I hurried into the room in advance to show them their place in front of a screen of plants.  When they entered the company rose, and the ceremony was performed.  Veronica’s dress was commented upon and not approved of; being black, it was considered ominous.  She looked like a ‘cloud with a silver lining.’  I also made my comments.  Temperance, whose tearful eyes were fixed on her darling, was unconscious that she had taken from her pocket, and was flourishing,