"I dare not hope, but I shall try my fate," the General answered, soberly.
"I am glad if you begin to realize your duty," said this inconsistent woman. "You ought to have married years ago; not waited till your wife will have to share you with old age and rheumatism."
"It was never time until now," the General declared, with youthful ardor. "Could any woman save Miss Celia Linn fitly reign here?—I ask you that, Sarah."
"You'd better ask her about reigning, not me," said Sarah, laughingly, and with this parting shot she left the room.
In the hall she encountered the twins deep in conversation.
"Miss Sarah, Gay says that you won't like him as well as you do me!" cried May.
"If he's as good as you are I shall like him," Sarah replied.
"I can't be half as good as she's been lately," Gay said. "I would have thumped Philip into next week if he had tried that game on me! But May won't be as good now I am here. We need to be together to show just what we are."
"Don't you think Gay might forgive Philip?" May asked! "He says he won't."
"I don't mind what people do to me; but to you, that's another thing," Gay said, stoutly.