Part 20 (2/2)

”It certainly was he!” she said. ”Now, Barbara--it is time for you to eliminate yourself--you must lie on the couch and try to look pale.”

She pulled down the window blind, ran into her room, and had hardly settled herself upon the couch when, as she had expected, a maid came up with a message asking her to go down to the terrace.

”Please tell Miss Britton I have a headache, and am lying down for a little,” Barbara said, congratulating herself upon the possession of what had annoyed her considerably a short time before, though in an ordinary way she would have scoffed at the idea of lying down for a headache. A few minutes afterwards up came her aunt, looking very concerned, and fearing lest they had been doing too much. Barbara's heart smote her, but she told herself that she must be firm.

”I sent for you to come to see Mr. Morton, senior,” Aunt Anne explained. ”Strangely enough, he arrived this morning in Rouen, and has put up at another hotel.”

”How nice. How very nice! I shall come down later, aunt. I expect I shall be _quite_ all right shortly.”

She had a little difficulty in persuading her aunt that it was not necessary to stay beside her, but at last succeeded in doing so, and gave a chuckle of joy when the door closed.

She had intended to go down to the garden later on, but, strange to say, fell fast asleep, and did not awaken until the man tapped at her door, saying the tea had been ordered for four o'clock, but now, although it was half-past, madame had not returned, having gone along the river bank, he believed, with monsieur. So Barbara hastily descended and had tea--very much brewed--all by herself, and then returned to her room to read.

She had finished her book, and was thinking of getting ready for dinner, when Aunt Anne came in--quite a different Aunt Anne from the one she knew, with all her decision fled. She fidgeted about for some time, saying nothing of importance, then at last turned round and began hastily--

”I did a very silly thing once long ago, Barbara, and to-day I have done what I am afraid people may think still sillier--I have promised to marry Mr. Morton.”

Whereupon Barbara seized her rapturously. ”Oh, aunt,” she cried, ”I'm so glad, just gladder than of anything else I could have heard.”

”It--it is a great relief, Barbara,” she said unsteadily, ”to have you take it so. I--was afraid you might laugh. You know, it needs some courage for a person of my age to do a thing like that. It is different for a girl like you, but I could not have done it, had I not felt that since he desired it so urgently, I ought to right the wrong I had done him long ago.”

”You can't help being very happy, aunt,” said Barbara, ”I'm sure, with such a nice man as Mr. Morton. The only regret _I_ have is that you've lost so much of the time----”

Then, seeing her aunt's face, she felt inclined to strike herself for having spoken foolishly.

”Mr. Morton is in the garden,” her aunt said after a moment. ”It would be nice if you went down and saw him.” And Barbara sped away.

That interview was apparently entirely satisfactory, for Miss Britton, enjoining them later, found Barbara had just issued an invitation in her mother's name and that it had been accepted. ”And, of course, you will come too, aunt,” the girl added.

There was one part in the arrangements that Barbara begged to be left to her, and that was the letter home telling the news.

”You see, Aunt Anne,” she said, ”I naturally feel as if I had rather a big share in the matter.”

”I think surely it was Denys Morton's letter that brought me,” Miss Britton corrected; ”but write if you like, Barbara.” And, indeed, she was rather glad to be relieved from the responsibility.

CHAPTER XX.

THE CODA.

If Barbara had been at home when her letter arrived, she would have been quite content with the excitement it caused. At first Frances and Donald were inclined to think it a huge joke, but having read to the end of Barbara's letter they felt rather differently. Aunt Anne had acted more wisely than she knew in allowing her niece to be the one to write and tell of her engagement.

”Of course,” Donald said in his decided way, ”we must do the proper thing by her and treat her nicely--for after all, Frances, she's been rather a brick about Barbara--and the last time she stayed she was much improved.”

”It'll be interesting having a new uncle too,” Frances remarked complacently. ”We're rather badly off for uncles, Don, and from what Barbara says this Mr. Morton must be very--nice, though, of course, Barbara isn't quite to be trusted, seeing she's such a friend of Denys'. Let me see, now, what relation will _he_ be to us?”

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