“This,” said he, laughingly, “I design as the boudoir of _Mrs. Delafield_, when I shall be fortunate enough to boast such an appendage to my household; and as a woman’s taste is supposed to be superior to that of men, I want your opinion. How do you like it? Do you think it would suit _my wife_, if I had one?” Of course he meant _Ada_, and in fancy I saw her reclining upon the luxurious lounges, or gazing out upon the vine-wreathed piazza, and wealth of flowers, which greeted my view when I looked from the large bay window. For an instant I dared not trust my voice to speak, and when at last I did so, I am sure it must have trembled, for he came to my side and looked me earnestly in the face, while he smiled at my answer. “It ought to suit her, unless her home heretofore has been Paradise.” After that I had not the least doubt of his engagement with Ada, and I began seriously to think of going back to Meadow Brook to take charge of a select school, which was about to be opened there. I had now been in Georgia about four months, and one night I went down to the pleasant summer-house at the foot of the garden. It was a beautiful moonlight night and the air was almost oppressive with the sweet fragrance of the flowers. Why I went there I hardly know, only I fancied I could better make up my mind as to my future course, if I were alone and in the open air. “Nobody likes me here,” I said to myself, as I took a seat within the arbor, “nobody but Halbert and Jessie. Mrs. Lansing is freaky and cross. Lina, selfish and indifferent, while Mr. Delafield thinks only of Ada’s return, which I so much dread, and to be rid of meeting her, I will go home before she comes.” So I decided that on the morrow, I would make known my determination to Mrs. Lansing, who I fancied would be glad, while Mr. Delafield would not be affected either way. _I_ was nothing to _him_—_he_ was nothing to _me_—so I reasoned, and then I made plans for the future, just as other maidens of eighteen have done, when their heart was aching with a heavy pain, whose cause they did not understand. I should never marry—_that_ was a settled point—I should teach school all my days, and by the time I was twenty-five (it seemed a great way off then) I should have a school of my own, “LEE SEMINARY” I would call it, and I had just completed the arrangement of the grounds, which somehow bore a strong resemblance to those of Sunny Bank, when I was roused from my reverie by the sound of a footstep, and in a moment Mr. Delafield stood at the entrance of the summer-house. He evidently did not expect to find me there, for he started back at first, and then, hoping he did not intrude, came to my side, saying, “A penny for your thoughts, Miss Lee, provided they are not as gloomy as your face would indicate.” “You can have them for nothing,” I returned, elevating my eyebrows, and drawing down the corners of my mouth as if I felt that in some way he had injured me.