“What’s happened, old man?” asked Merry. “You look as if you had heard good news.” “So I have.” “Mind telling?” “I guess not. I made an ass of myself, Merriwell, and I’ve just found it out. To-day I received a letter from Juliet.” “Really?” “Yes; here it is.” Diamond triumphantly drew it from a pocket near his heart. “I’ll not let you read it,” he said, laughing, “for I think any man a cad who permits his friends to peruse his love-letters.” “Then it is a love-letter?” cried Frank. Jack nodded happily. “Decidedly so!” he said. “In it Juliet has shown me what a great big chump I am. The man was her cousin, whom she had not seen for some time, as he had been in India. She was offended by my manner and words, and would not explain. That’s spirit for you, Merry! By Jove, I like it! Isn’t she like Inza! When I continued to be a duffer she grew more and more angry, which was perfectly natural. She was determined to punish me by letting me think she meant never to speak to me again. But she did not think I would jump out of London in such a hurry, and she was appalled when she learned I had gone. Ha, ha! “Well, she kept still just as long as she could, and then she wrote me this letter. She says she tried hard not to write it, and that she was determined to burn it after it was written; but she posted it instead of burning it, and now all the clouds are cleared away. I’ve just written a long reply, asking her forgiveness and begging permission to resume my suit. Gentlemen, I’m going back to London, and I’ll marry that girl just as soon as she’ll have me! I’m going to hurry up about it, too, before I make a fool of myself again and lose her for good.” “Old man, I congratulate you!” cried Frank, as he grasped Jack’s hand. “But let this be a warning to you never again to entertain doubts of her without positive, absolute, and incontrovertible proof.” As Merry said this he looked at Starbright, who flushed slightly and turned away. Diamond was happy indeed. From the depths he had been lifted to the heights, and he felt that he was a very lucky fellow. He freely expressed himself to that effect. “It’s more than I deserve,” he declared. “She would have treated me right if she’d refused ever again to have anything to do with me. I don’t know how I am going to set myself right in her eyes, and I shall feel guilty when I meet her. Merry, you must be the best man when we are married.” “If it is possible, it will be a great pleasure,” smiled Frank. “Oh, you’ll have to make it possible. But for you I’d never met her, you know. You have brought me all my good fortune, just the same as you bring good fortune to every one of your friends.”