Full as Mrs. Heth was of her own engrossing thoughts, her daughter’s expression at once notified her that she, too, had news of some sort to communicate.

“Well, Carlisle?  What’re you....  Why, what’s happened?”

“You’ve just missed Hugo, mamma.”

“Hugo!” said mamma, paling and almost falling backward.  “He’s been here?”

In her daughter’s blue eyes there lingered that gleaming exultation, not completely softened as yet by the sweeter and now due love-light.

“He wants me to marry him next month.”

“Oh, Cally!...”

Fairly tumbling forward from the door, Mrs. Heth gathered her daughter in a convulsive bear-hug, murmuring ecstatic nothings.  Little she thought of Settlements or picayunish donations now.

“Oh, Cally!...  Mamma’s so happy for you, dear child!...  And me never dreaming he was within a thousand miles!  All’s well that ends well, I say!...  When’d he come?  I’m wild to see him.  Where’s he staying?  Will he be back this evening?”

She drew away from her unwonted demonstration, leaving her hands on Cally’s shoulders, and the two women looked at each other, both a little flushed with excitement.

“He’s at the Arlington, to stay only till to-morrow,” said she, “and he’s coming in after dinner to see you and papa.”

“Oh!...  He insists on not seeing you, I suppose?” fleered mamma, with enormous archness.

“I won’t be here, you see.  I’m going to the theatre—­Mr. Avery’s getting up a party.”

Mrs. Heth showed as much surprise as the jubilation of her countenance could accommodate.

“Why, my dear child!  Break it, of course!  I’ll telephone him myself—­a friend from out of town—­”

“But I don’t want to break it, you see!” said Carlisle, laughing brightly.  “He can’t expect to drop in after months and months and find us all twirling our thumbs on the doorstep, you know!”

“But you’re engaged to him.’”

“I should hope not!...  Why, mamma! You must think I’m frightfully—­die-away!...  I’m disciplining him, don’t you see?  I’m not going to make it too easy for him!”

“Oh!...  I see!”

Perhaps she did not see exactly, and certainly she did not believe in manufacturing sporting chances in the most momentous matter in the world.  But then neither did Cally, she well knew; and of her daughter’s victorious skill in the matter of managing men, she had had many proofs, and now this crowning one.  Lovers’ coynesses mattered little in the face of the supreme fact of Canning’s return.

“Well!  You’ll give him the whole day to-morrow, of course!...  And don’t you be too hard on the dear fellow, Cally.  His coming back shows he’s been disciplined....  How the cats will open their eyes!”

“Probably....  But don’t worry about Hugo, mamma.  He’ll do just what I say after this.”