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180 | o. MALAESEA,
‘Tt is I who owe a great deal to your grandparents,”” Sarah re-
plied, a little tremulously, but. trying to shake otf the timidity which
she felt beneath his dark‘eyes. \.‘*-Lwas a regular prisoner like any
other school-girl, and they had the goodness to open the door and
jim let me out.”?
‘Then fidgety old 2 Madame Monot had you in charge? ’’ young
Danforth said, laughing; ‘I can easily understand that it must be
a relief to get occasionally where you are not obliged to wait and
i think by rule.” |
a “‘ There — there !. 19 said the old ladys « “6 William is encouraging ?
‘; insubordination already; you will be'a- bad counselor for Sarah.
Both she and her husband betrayed the utmost satisfaction at the
frank and cordial conversation which .wvent on between the young
“pair; and in an hour Sarah was as much at ease as if she had been
gathering wild flowers in-her native woods. .
Danforth gave them long and amusing accounts of his adventures,
talked naturally_and well of the countries he had visited, the nota-
ble places he had - ‘seen, and never had man three more attentive
auditors.
“That was a delightful day to Sarah; ‘and as William’ Danforth had
not lost, in his foreign wanderings, the freshness and enthusiasm
‘pleasant in youth, it was full of enjoyment to him likewise. ~ y
There was something so innocent in Sarah’s loveliness — some- :
thing so unstudied in her graceful manner, that’ the vyery~ contrast
she presented to the artificial women of the world with whom he had
been of late familiar, gave her an. additional charm i in the eye of °
the young man,
. Many times, while they talked, Mrs. Danforth glanced anxiously
toward her husband; but his smile "reassured her, and there stole over
her pale face a light from within which told of some pleasant vision
. that had brightened. the winter season of her heart, and illuminated
it with a reflected light almost as beautiful as that which had flooded
it in its spring-time, when her dreams were of her own future, and
the aged, decrepit. man by. her side a stalwart youth, noble and
brave as the boy in whom their past seemed once more to live.
‘*If Madame Monot happens to sce me she. will. be shocked,”
. Sarah said, laughingly. .** She told me that she - ‘hoped I would im-
prove my holiday by reading some French: sermons: that she gave
me. 3
- © And have you looked at them?? ” ‘Danforth asked.
_ *T am afraid they are mislaid,’’ she replied, rhischievously.
"Not greatly to your annoyance, I fancy? .I think if I had been
obliged to learn French from old-fashioned sermons, it would have
taken me a long time to‘acquire the language.?? - ~
. “YT don’ 't. think much of French sermons,’’ remarked Mrs. Dan-
forth, with a doubtful shake of the head.
Nor of the. People,” added her husband ; “ “you never did like
them, Therese.’?
She nodded assent, and y oun g Danforth addressed Sarah in
aA