Jack sat silent, but smiling.

“Do you think she will want to marry me?” he asked presently.

“You go and bring her to me,” said the old lady vigorously.  “I’ll soon find out.  Just tell her I want to speak to her—­don’t tell her what about.  That ain’t none of your business an’ I’m a great believer in people’s not interfering in what’s none of their business.  You just get her and then leave her to me.”

Jack went and found Janice.  He was sufficiently mean not to tell her what had happened, and Janice—­being built on a different plan from Lucinda—­had not kept near enough to the keyhole to be posted anyway.

“Mr. Denham says you want me,” she said, coming to the bedside with her customary pleasant smile.

“I do,” said her mistress.  “I want to speak to you on a very serious subject and I want you to pay a lot of attention.  It’s this:  I want you to marry Jack.”

Poor Janice jumped violently,—­there was no doubt as to the genuineness of her surprise.

“Well, don’t you want to?” asked Aunt Mary.

“I don’t believe I do.”

At this it was the old lady’s turn to be astonished.

“Why don’t you?” she said; “my heavens alive, what are you a-expectin’ to marry if you don’t think my nephew’s good enough for you?”

“But I don’t want to marry!” cried poor Janice, in most evident distress.

Aunt Mary looked at her severely.

“Then what did you kiss him for?” she asked, in the tone in which one plays the trump ace.

Janice started again.

“Kiss—­him—­” she faltered.

Aunt Mary regarded her sternly.

“Granite,” she said, “I ain’t a-intendin’ to be unreasonable, but I must ask you jus’ one simple question.  You kissed him, for I saw you; an’ will you kindly tell me why, in heaven’s name, you ain’t willin’ to marry any man that you’re willin’ to kiss?”

“There’s such a difference,” wailed the maid.

“I don’t see it,” said her mistress, shaking her head.  “I don’t see it at all.  Of course I never for a minute thought of doin’ either myself, but if I had thought of doin’ either, I’d had sense enough to have seen that I’d have to make up my mind to do both.  I’m a great believer in never doin’ things by halves.  It don’t pay.  Never—­nohow.”

Janice was biting her lips.

“But I don’t want to marry!” she repeated obstinately.

“Then you shouldn’t have let him kiss you.  You’ve got him all started to lovin’ you and if he’s stopped too quick no one can tell what may happen.  I want him to settle down, but I want him to settle down because he’s happy an’ not because he’s shattered.  He says he’s willin’ to marry you an’ I don’t see any good reason why not.”

Janice’s mouth continued to look rebellious.

“Go and get him,” said Aunt Mary.  “I can see that this thing has got to be settled pleasantly right off, or we shan’t none of us have any appetite for dinner.  You find Jack, or if you can’t find him tell Lucinda that she’s got to.”