"Before we go down, Dawn, I must say one word. Don’t let them know anything about your not knowing. They think that you understood it all and were willing. I can’t see how it happened. Mrs. Van Rensselaer went upstairs last night to tell you all about Harrington, and to take my offer to you, and when she came down she said you wanted to think it over." The deep color came in Dawn’s cheeks, and the flash into her eyes. "She did not speak to me last night after you came," she said. "But in the morning, after I saw you in the garden—did she tell you nothing then?" "She only talked to me about the wedding, and told me I must not look up during the ceremony, that it was not nice. That seemed to be the only thing she cared about." "Didn’t she tell you at all about Harrington?" "Not a word, except that I ought to go down and talk with him before the ceremony? Was he asking for me?" The dark eyes took on their frightened look. Charles frowned heavily behind the big damask towel with which he was drying his face. "Never mind, dear. Harrington has behaved outrageously, but we will not talk about it now. I’m ashamed to call him my brother." "Oh! He is your brother, isn’t he?" said Dawn, suddenly perceiving the fact. "Of course!" "Didn’t you know even that? What could the woman have been thinking about? What object could your mother possibly have had in not telling you everything?" "Charles!" Betty’s voice was insistent now. "Yes, Betty. Just ready," answered Charles impatiently. "She is not my mother, you know, and she never liked me," said Dawn, in a low voice, as if she were ashamed of it all. "Never mind, dear; let’s forget it now, and be happy." He stooped and drew her face against his for just an instant, and then they went out to the impatient Betty. Downstairs it was all gaiety and brightness. Once Charles said with a soft light in his eyes, "I’m sorry Mother couldn’t be down to-night. How is she feeling now?" and Dawn looked at him in awe and love, and thought how beautiful it was to have a mother that one longed to have about. "Your mother will be all right in the morning, I think," answered his father, with just a tinge of sadness in his voice; and a quietness settled over them all for a moment. Dawn thought it was because they loved her so much and were sorry she was sick. "We didn’t ask any of the neighbors in to-night, because we thought you would be so tired, and it would be better to wait till you were rested, so we could have a real party and do things up nicely, not in such a hurry. They don’t even know yet that Charles is married, you know." Betty’s voice gushed into the pause that had come in the conversation, as if she wished to fill it quickly, no matter with what. "Yes, that’s right," approved Charles. "We don’t want a lot of folks around. We just want you folks for a while." After supper Cordelia took Dawn up to their mother’s room.