“Dora, Dora Darling always, even when you are all my Dora!” whispered Karl; but Dora released herself from his arms, and stood upright.  Her face was strong again now, although very white; and she said,—­

“Thank you, cousin.  You are good and kind, as you always have been, and I am glad you love me as I love you; but what else you have said we will forget.  I am too young to think of such things, and you will not feel so to-morrow or next day.  Be my brother, as you have been, and let me be sister to you and Kitty, as aunt told us.  I wish I could make Kitty love me.”

The young man would have persisted; but Dora, gravely shaking her head, said,—­

“Karl dear, you only distress me, and I want to be quiet.  Do not speak of this again for at least another year, and then, perhaps, you will not want to.”

“But in a year I may, if I do want to?” asked Karl eagerly.

“I don’t want to say that; for I don’t know that I should want you to then,” said Dora, with such exquisite simplicity, that the young man laughed outright, and said,—­

“But you don’t know that you sha’n’t, do you, darling Dorelle?”

“I didn’t say so.”

“No; but—­Well, I won’t insist; only I shall put down the date.  Let me see:  Aug. 24, isn’t it?”

He took out his note-book, wrote a few words, and, glancing at Dora with a suppressed smile, put it away again.  Then, more seriously, he took her hand, saying,—­

“Only remember one thing, Dora; and that is, whatever may come in the future, this house is your home as long as it is ours; and, while I live, there is always some one who loves you best of all God’s creatures.”

CHAPTER XXI.

Giovanni’s room.

“Ochone! an’ it’s weary work climbin’ thim stairs,” groaned Mrs. Ginniss, pausing upon the landing outside the organ-grinder’s door.

“An’ mabbe she’s wid him still.  Anyway, I’ll see, and save the coomin’ down agin.”

With these words, Mrs. Ginniss gave a modest rap upon the door, and, as it remained unanswered, a somewhat louder one, calling at the same time,—­

“Misther Jovarny!  Misther Jovarny, I say!  Is it out yees still are?”

The question remaining unanswered, the good woman waited no longer, but, climbing the remaining flight of stairs took the key of her room from the shelf in Teddy’s closet where it had been left, and unlocked the door.

“Cherry, darlint, be ye widin?” asked she, throwing it open; and then, recollecting herself, added,—­

“An’ sure how could she, be, widout she kim in trew the kayhole?  But, blissid Vargin! where would they be all the day long?”

So saying, Mrs. Ginniss threw up the window, and looked anxiously down the street in the direction where Giovanni and Cherry had that morning disappeared.