“Well, she’s his aunt, ain’t she?” Joshua demanded, picking up the can and privately wishing Lucinda in Halifax.

“I don’t mean her;—­I mean Janice.”

“I don’t see anythin’ surprisin’ in that,” said Joshua,—­“not if he got a good chance.”

“What do you think of such goin’s on?”

“I think they’ll lead to goin’s offs.”

“I never would ‘a’ believed it,” said Lucinda; “Well, all I can say is I wish he’d ‘a’ tried it on me.”

“You’ll wish a long time,” said Joshua, placidly; and his tone, as usual, made Lucinda even more angry than his words; so she forthwith left him and tore back to the house.

Aunt Mary had also had her eyes open, and in this particular case it was impossible to have one’s eyes open without having one’s eyes opened.  So Aunt Mary had both.

She shut them at once and reflected deeply, and when Janice went out of the room at last she immediately sat up in bed and addressed her nephew.

“Jack, what did you kiss her for?”

Jack was fairly wild with joy at the brilliant way in which he had begun.  Mrs. Rosscott had laid one scheme for the overthrow of Aunt Mary and her plan of attack had been absolutely successful.  Now it was his turn and he, too, was in it to win undying glory or else—­well, no matter.  There wouldn’t be any “also ran” in this contest.

“You don’t deny that you kissed her, do you?” said his aunt severely.  “Answer this minute.  I’m a great believer in answerin’ when you’re spoken to.”

“Yes, I kissed her,” he said easily.

[Image:  Illustration 8]

“Aunt Mary had also had her eyes open.”

“Well, what did you do it for?”

“I’m very fond of her;” the words came forth with great apparent reluctance.

“Fond of her!” said Aunt Mary with great contempt.

Jack lifted his eyes quickly at the tone of her comment.

“Fond of her!  Do you think a girl like that is the kind to be fond of!  Why ain’t you in love with her?”

The young man felt his brains suddenly swimming.  This surpassed his maddest hopes.

“Shall I say that I am in love with her?” he cried into the ear-trumpet.

Aunt Mary raised up in bed,—­her eyes sparkling.

“Jack,” she said, almost quivering with excitement, “are you in love with her?”

“Yes, I am,” he owned, wondering what would come next, but feeling that the tide was all his way.

Aunt Mary collapsed with a joyful sigh.

“My heavens alive,” she said rapturously, “seems like it’s too good to be true!  Jack,” she continued solemnly, “if you’re in love with her you shall marry her.  If there’s any way to keep a girl like that in the family I guess I ain’t goin’ to let her slip through my fingers not while I’ve got a live nephew.  You shall marry her an’ I’ll buy you a house in New York and come an’ live with you.”