"Mother," said Richard, "I have something to say to you. Admiral, you will pardon me if I ask Miss Emily to take Miss Josephine into the house for a few moments? No, sir; don't you go, please," he continued, as the admiral made a motion to rise; "I want you to hear, too."
"Certainly, certainly, my lad. Emily, show Miss Remington the treasures of your room, the model of the Susquehanna——"
"And the sword of the Constitution," interrupted Richard; "that is the rarest treasure of them all."
"Come, then, Miss Remington," said Emily, extending her hand to Josephine, "since we are dismissed."
Josephine instantly divined the meaning of Richard's request. She shot a glance at him of mingled amusement and annoyance, and found time to whisper as she passed him standing by the door, which he had opened for them,—
"You do love her, then? Traitor! Well, I do not wonder."
This was certainly magnanimous in her, yet she was not particularly happy over the situation. Not that she loved Revere, but a woman never forgives the defection of an old admirer. Although she may have been married for twenty years, when her sometime lover follows her example, she always feels that it is an evidence of masculine depravity and disloyalty.
However, Josephine could not justly reproach him in view of her declared affection for Charles Van Dorn. Yet he might have had the decency to wait a little longer, she thought, somewhat bitterly, as she left the porch. She was a generous girl, though, and had a good heart. When they were alone, she slipped her arm around Emily's waist, which was an unusual and remarkable familiarity under any circumstances on her part, and whispered in her ear,—
"Tell me, do you love him very much?"
"I—we quarrelled a few minutes ago about——"