"Such grace, Tabby——"
"Is worth coming from Russia to see. I'm practising; there's to be great doings here before long. What would you say to a wedding?"
"Let me salute the bride?" he said, with an attempt at gaiety which, to himself, seemed rather sickly, and suiting his action to the word.
"Well!" ejaculated Miss Cone, adjusting her cap, "many a man's had his ears boxed for that. However, I suppose it's in the air around here—but you're mistaken. I'm not the bride."
"Surely, not Aunt Achsah?"
"As if you couldn't guess! But don't say I told you. The fact is I'm so full of it I blabbed without thinking."
"Then it's a secret?"
"It won't be after to-day. Leonard told us last night. I suppose your aunt'll tell your ma to-day."
Mark promised to say nothing and went toward the house. Miss Claghorn welcomed him cordially, but made no reference to the subject of Tabitha's disclosures, though traces of her agreeable agitation were visible. "There's Natalie, now!" she exclaimed after some minutes had been spent in conversation sufficiently dreary to one of the two.
The thundering of a horse's hoofs told of a wild gallop. The old lady rushed from the house, followed by Mark, dismayed by her action and the alarm expressed in her countenance. He reached the gate in time to assist Natalie to dismount.