’Lena smiled, while she disclaimed any intention toward her cousin, who, resuming the position which in his excitement he had slightly changed, continued:  “I have always dealt fairly with you, ’Lena, and now I tell you truly, I have no particular love for Mabel, although I intend making her my wife, and heartily wish she was so now.”

’Lena started, and clasping John’s arm, exclaimed, “Marry Mabel and not love her!  You cannot be in earnest.  You will not do her so great a wrong—­you shall not.”

“I don’t know how you’ll help it, unless you meddle with what does not concern you,” said John.  “I am doing her no wrong, I never told her I loved her—­never acted as though I did, and if she is content to have me on such terms, it’s nobody’s business.  She loves me half to death, and if the old adage be true that love begets love, I shall learn to love her, and when I do I’ll let you know.”

So saying, the young man shook down his pants, which had become disarranged, and walked away, leaving ’Lena to wonder what course she had better pursue.  Once she resolved on telling Mabel all that had passed between them, but the next moment convinced her that, as he had said, she would be meddling, so she decided to say nothing, silently hoping that affairs would turn out better than she feared.

It was Mabel’s wish that ’Lena and Anna should be her bridesmaids, Durward and Malcolm officiating as groomsmen, and as Mr. Bellmont was away, she wrote to him requesting his attendance, but saying she had not yet mentioned the subject to ’Lena.  Painful as was the task of being thus associated with ’Lena, Durward felt that to refuse might occasion much remark, so he wrote to Mabel that “he would comply with her request, provided Miss Rivers were willing.”

“Of course she’s willing,” said Mabel to herself, at the same time running with the letter to ’Lena, who, to her utter astonishment, not only refused outright, but also declined giving any particular reason for her doing so.  “Carrie will suit him much better than I,” said she, but unfortunately, Carrie, who chanced to be present, half hidden in the recess of a window, indignantly declined “going Jack-at-a-pinch” with any one, so Mabel was obliged to content herself with Anna and Mr. Everett.

But here a new difficulty arose, for Mrs. Livingstone declared that the latter should not be invited, and Anna, in a fit of anger, insisted that if he were not good enough to be present, neither was she, and she should accordingly remain in her own room.  Poor Mabel burst into tears, and when, a few moments afterward, John Jr. appeared, asking what ailed her, she hid her face in his bosom and sobbed like a child.  Then, frightened at her own temerity, for he gave her no answering caress, she lifted up her head, while with a quizzical expression John Jr. said, “So-ho, Meb, seems to me you’ve taken to crying on my jacket a little in advance.  But what’s the matter?”