“Here is my will.  Grace will keep it.  Here is a check for her, which will secure her comfort, so far as money is concerned.  Here is a check for L10,000 for you and Rose.  Grace will return from the church to this house.  If our marriage cause any friction here, she will go and live with you and Rose.  I am glad you have secured a house.  If I were you, I repeat, I would never take Rose under the roof of her step-father until I received full restitution from him.  Do not discuss this money part of the business any more; it will do you no good.  And when I am gone, do not get low spirited.  Make life happy for Rose, and”—­he halted a moment—­“for Grace.”

The dinner was not a happy one that day.  A cloud was on the Hamlin house.  As soon as possible the head of the house went out.  He was quickly followed by Browning.

The eyes of Grace and Sedgwick met.  They both rose from the table and passed into the hall.  Grace twined her arms around one of his and led him into the parlor.  She swung around an easy chair, made him sit down, then seated herself on an ottoman at his feet, and said:  “It’s going to be awfully hard to bear, my love; but I have thought it all over, and I do not believe I should ever be quite satisfied if you should not perform what you have marked out as your duty.  Of course, if the property will not bear examination, you will, if nothing wrong happens you, be back in two or three months.  If it will justify further exertion, I understand it will be likely to keep you away for a year, and that will be fearful.”

The tears filled her eyes.

“But that will be duty, and then if you conclude to remain, maybe you will send for me.  It will not matter how I live.  I would go now, but I know I would be a trouble to you.  I should interfere with your work.  To-day you would want to go here; to-night, there; to-morrow you would want to be off on the mountains; and while I do not imagine you would think me a burden, nevertheless your very best energies could not be exerted, and this time they must be.”

She seemed very resolute as she spoke, though her face was sadder than Sedgwick had ever seen it.  She continued: 

“I shall be brave when the hour comes, my love.  I shall not vex you with a tear when we separate.  You shall carry a smile as my last gift away with you.”

Sedgwick was enchanted.  He thought her the grandest, noblest woman on earth, and thanked God for his treasure.

After awhile he told her of Jordan, and all that he had learned from him.  When he rehearsed Jordan’s love episode, she kept exclaiming:  “Poor, true man!  Poor, honest fellow!” But when it was finished, she said:  “Why, love, he is a ninny; that woman would never have left him had he but had more faith in himself, and pressed his suit a little.  I am glad he is going with you.  You will be a comfort to him, and his mind will have an object to work upon.  Poor fellow!” she added with a sad smile.  “You men are very brave and bright.  You tear down mountains, exalt valleys, fight battles, navigate great ships, tame wild horses and lasso wild oxen, but you do not—­the majority of you—­know any more about a woman’s heart than a Fiji islander does of Sanscrit.”