“And who is Mr. Sedgwick?” asked Rose.

“The best and noblest man in all this world,” replied Jack.

“Oh, Jack!” said Rose.

“It is true, all the same, my sorceress,” said Browning.  “I have seen him tested.  He has been my close companion for lo! these many months.”

“I am jealous of him,” said Rose.  “But why did he run away?  I want to know all your friends.”

“I suspect the truth is he left out of consideration for you and myself,” said Browning.  “He knew how I felt, and he hoped I would not be disappointed, and I suspect he thought the sacredness of our joy ought not to be disturbed.”

“Very fine, of course,” said Grace; “very thoughtful and considerate, but why did he not stop to ask himself if it was quite fair to leave me all alone.”

“You are right, Gracie,” said Browning, “and this act of his shows an absence of mind on his part that I did not expect.”

Then all laughed, but Grace blushed a little while she laughed.

Then Mrs. Hamlin came in.  She warmly congratulated the happy pair.

They strolled into the sitting-room, and soon after the mail was brought in.  The first things the girls seized upon were the papers from Devonshire, for they were like other people.  Men and women live in a place for years, and daily express the belief that the home paper is the worst specimen they ever saw, but let one of them absent himself or herself for a week, and the same newspaper from the old home is the one thing they want above all others.  Glancing over the paper, Grace suddenly looked up and said:  “Why, they had a wonderfully exciting episode down in ——­ on Sunday last.”  She had come upon the account of the exploit with the bull, and read it aloud.

The names being misspelled, she never suspected the real facts.

“That was a brave man,” she said, when she had finished.  “It must have been splendid.  I wish I could have seen it.  How it must have astonished those villagers.  I would like to kiss the man who performed that feat.”

“Would you?” said Jack laughingly.  “I will tell him so when I meet him.”

“Please do,” said Grace.  “He must have been a grand matador from Spain,” and springing up, she caught a tidy from the furniture, danced around the room with it, holding it in both hands as though bating an angry bull, and suddenly dropping it, made a grab for an imaginary ring and horn, and twisting both wrists quickly, cried out:  “Did I not down his highness beautifully?”

“Beautifully,” said Browning, “and when I meet the man I will tell him of your vivid imitation.”

“And don’t forget to tell him I would like to kiss him,” said Grace, laughing.

“Maybe I can fix it so you can tell him yourself, Grace.”

“Do you know him, Jack?” asked Rose.

Jack smiled and said, “Perhaps.”

“What do you mean, Jack?” asked Grace.