"I thought so."

"He was real mean to me--as sarcastic as he could be."

"Rich fathers are usually indignant when their daughters wish to marry poor men. He can have no other objection to me."

"Have you any money saved up, Harry?"

"Yes, I've got two thousand dollars in the bank to furnish our flat with."

"We shall have to go to a justice of the peace, for father will not let me be married at home. Oh, if Aunt Ella were here."

"Where is she?"

"In England. She's the wife of a baronet, and he is rich and so is Aunt Ella."

"Maude, let's elope and go to England for our honeymoon."

Aunt Ella and Alice had been to Ketchley to make some purchases for young Quincy's wardrobe. As they entered the house a maid said that a young lady and gentleman were waiting to see them.

"Both of us?" queried Aunt Ella.

The maid replied: "They said they wished to see Lady Fernborough and Mrs. Quincy Adams Sawyer."

"I will see if baby is all right and join you in a few minutes," said Alice.

Aunt Ella pa.s.sed her hat and wrap to the maid, and entered the drawing room.

"Maude Sawyer, what cloud did you drop from? Where did you come from?

Excuse me," said Aunt Ella as she espied Maude's companion, who had kept in the background.

"This is my husband, Mr. Harry Merry. We're just from London. We've been doing the town. What a big noisy place."

Alice came in and the introduction was repeated.

"Well, Maude," said Aunt Ella, "we're delighted to see you and your husband, but your arrival was so unexpected that you must pardon my evidences of surprise."

"They're very excusable," said Maude. "I can hardly realize, myself, that we are here. You and Alice are wondering what brought us, and you are ent.i.tled to an explanation. We just eloped because father would not give his consent."

The presence of Mr. Merry made the situation an awkward one, but Aunt Ella was a woman with opinions and was not afraid to express them. So she said:

"I suppose your father will disinherit you. I hope that will not mar your future happiness."

"I don't think it will. Harry has a good position, we've got some money in the bank, and we're going to have a nice little flat in Cambridge or Roxbury. I want to see my little nephew, Quincy's boy, and then we are going right back to London."

"Come with me," said Alice, "and see the baby, but Aunt Ella and I will never consent to your leaving us so soon. You must pay us a long visit."

"I would," replied Maude, "but for one thing father said to me. We will stay over night, for I have so much to tell both of you."

"Come to the library," said Aunt Ella. "I will introduce your husband to Sir Stuart, and then we will go to the nursery where we can talk as long as we wish."

When they reached the nursery, Maude's first wish was gratified--she held, and hugged and kissed, and praised her brother's boy. Alice's face beamed with delight.

"Now, Maude," exclaimed Aunt Ella, "why this runaway marriage? Tell us all about it."

Maude laughed. "It's so funny. I told father I was going to marry Mr.

Merry, and he about the same as said I shouldn't. He told me not to meet him again unless in his presence or mother's."

"That was reasonable. Why did you object?" asked Aunt Ella.

"It wouldn't have done any good. He's opposed to Harry because he isn't rich. Was Nathaniel Adams Sawyer rich when he married your sister, Aunt Ella?"

"I should say not. They began housekeeping in three rooms, but my brother-in-law is a born money-maker."

"We're going to have five rooms, and I think Harry has it in him to make money--at any rate I'm going to give him a chance and help him all I can."

"How did you manage to get away?" asked Alice. She remembered that Quincy married her without his father's consent. But for the fact that she became famous by writing a popular book, he would never have welcomed her into the family. In fact, he had been "cornered" and had to surrender. So, she was full of sympathy for Maude, for her own fate might have been similar.

"That's the funny part," said Maude. "I could get away easily enough, but I wanted my clothes and many things that I prized. I knew it was wrong, but I deceived my father. I am sorry for that, but I couldn't give Harry up."

"What did you do?" asked Aunt Ella.

"Why, I told father if he wanted to get me away from Harry that he must let me come to England and see Florence. I didn't say I was coming to see you--"

"That wouldn't have appealed to him," interrupted Aunt Ella.

Maude continued: "Then everything was plain sailing. He gave me money for an outfit, bought my ticket and return, found me a chaperone, a brother lawyer and his wife were coming over, and gave me five hundred dollars to spend. I consider that is my dowry, for I don't expect any more. Florence gets fifteen thousand a year and I get five hundred all in a lump. But I am not envious of Florence. She needs the money, and I don't."

"Then your father does not know that you are married?" said Alice.

"Certainly not. Harry was on the same boat, but we never spoke to each other all the way over. We suspected that father had spoken to Mr.

Harding or his wife about Harry, and so we were very circ.u.mspect and gave no cause for suspicion."

"Well," said Aunt Ella, "I will go with you to see Florence, but Mr.

Merry--"

"Please call him Harry, Aunt Ella. Isn't he your nephew--in-law?"

"Then," Aunt Ella continued, "Harry must stay here. Alice and I will think out some way of breaking the news to your father. I'm glad you told me the whole story, for I think I see a way to overcome his objections."

The visit to Mrs. Captain Hornaby was paid, and Maude Sawyer was obliged to kiss and be kissed by her brother-in-law.

"You didn't win the canoe race," said Maude, "but you were determined to have that kiss and so you married Florence;" but her sister was not present when she made the remark.

"Where is your friend, Colonel Spencer?"

"In India. I have never seen him since I gave him that check."