The word had scarcely left her lips when Tom flung the gilded chair back and fell on his knees, gathering her up in his arms with a wild outburst of feeling. "Then I'll be d---- hung and choked to death if anything on God's beautiful earth keeps me from marrying you!" She clung to him, she lifted her quivering lips to his. "Say it again, just once, darling?" cried Tom, shaking back his tawny locks with energy. "Is this love downright, honest, whole-hearted love?" "Yes, yes!" "God bless you, darling! And when was it? about what time did it begin?" She answered him honestly, but with a faltering voice: "Oh, Tom, I'm afraid it wasn't till after you got so rich. Don't think hard of it; I do love beautiful things so much--but indeed, indeed I love you more." "Then I'm glad the old covey left me all his money. I don't care a d---- red cent why you love me, only I must be sure that it's a fixed fact. Now I'll go straight out and tell Bessie." Elsie turned cold. "Oh, Tom, she'll never consent to it." "Won't she! I'd just like to know why?" "And my brother, he is so cold, so unforgiving." "Is he? then I'll take you away to a warmer climate. But don't believe it; he's proud as a race-horse, but you'll find him a trump in the end." "Don't go yet, Tom, I am afraid they will--" "No, they wont," cried Tom, and away he went into Elizabeth's sitting-room, with tears sparkling in his eyes and a generous flush on his face. "Mellen," he said, wringing Grantley's hand, "I want to be married to-morrow, and carry her away." "Fuller, what is the meaning of this?" demanded Mellen, pained and surprised, while Elizabeth stood up aghast at this sudden outburst. "It means just this, Mellen, I don't care a tin whistle for what has gone before, and I feel strong enough to take care of anything that may come after. Your sister loves me, and I love her, that's enough. I am satisfied, and--there--that's enough. The whole thing is a family secret, and who is going to be the wiser. I only hope they have dug the fellow's grave deep enough, that's all." "But, Fuller, have you reflected?" "Reflected! I've done nothing else for a week, and this is just what it has brought me to. So give us your hand." Elizabeth came up to Tom, put her arms around his neck, and burst into tears. "That's the time o' day," shouted Tom. "Silence gives consent; now just give us a good brotherly grip of the hand, Mellen, and it's all right." Tom folded one arm around his cousin, and held out the other a second time. Mellen took it in his, wrung it warmly, and left the room. "Just go in and comfort her a little, Bessie, poor darling, she's afraid you won't consent." "Generous, noble fellow," said Elizabeth, kissing him with warmth; "but where will you go? what will you do? It is all so very sudden."