“Faith, an’ what shall I do?” asked Rachel, who was fresh from “swate Ireland” and felt puzzled to know why a “silk frock and smart bonnet” should not always be welcome.  “Ask her up,” answered Kate.  “I’ve never seen her nearer than across the church and have some curiosity—­”

A moment after Rachel thrust her head in at the parlor door, saying, “If you please, ma’am, Miss Marget is engaged, and does not want to see you, but Miss Carrie says you may come up there.”

“Very well,” said Lenora; and tripping after the servant girl, she was soon in Carrie’s room.

After retailing nearly all the gossip of which she was mistress, she suddenly turned to Carrie, and said, “Did you know that your father was going to be married?”

“My father going to be married!” said Carrie, opening her blue eyes in astonishment.  “My father going to be married!  To whom pray?”

“To a lady from the East—­one whom he used to know and flirt with when he was in college!” was Lenora’s grave reply.

“What is her name?” asked Kate.

“Her name?  Let me see—­Miss—­Blackwell—­Blackmer—­Blackheart.  It sounds the most like Blackheart.”

“What a queer name,” said Kate; “but tell us what opportunity has Mr. Hamilton had of renewing his early acquaintance with the lady.”

“Don’t you know he’s been East this winter?” asked Lenora.

“Yes, as far as Albany,” answered Carrie.

“Well,” continued Lenora, “’twas during his Eastern trip that the matter was settled; but pray don’t repeat it from me, except it be to Maggie, who I dare say, will feel glad to be relieved of her heavy responsibilities—­but as I live, Carrie, you are crying!  What is the matter?”

But Carrie made no answer, and for a time wept on in silence.  She could not endure the thought that another would so soon take the place of her lost mother in the household and in the affections of her father.  There was, besides, something exceedingly annoying in the manner of her who communicated the intelligence, and secretly Carrie felt glad that the dreaded “Miss Blackheart” had, of course, no Lenora to bring with her!

“Do you know all this to be true?” asked Kate.

“Perfectly true,” said Lenora.  “We have friends living in the vicinity of the lady, and there can be no mistake, except, indeed, in the name, which I am not sure is right!”

Then hastily kissing Carrie, the little hussy went away, very well satisfied with her afternoon’s call.  As soon as she was out of hearing Margaret entered her sister’s room, and on noticing Carrie’s flushed cheek and red eyes, inquired the cause.  Immediately Kate told her what Lenora had said, but instead of weeping, as Carrie had done, she betrayed no emotion whatever.

“Why, Maggie, ain’t you sorry?” asked Carrie.

“No, I am glad,” returned Mag.  “I’ve seen all along that sooner or later father would make himself ridiculous, and I’d rather he’d marry forty women from the East, than one woman not far from here whom I know.”