Milly opened the door for him, and stood back to let him pass; she had learned in these weeks of their estrangement to restrain the manifestation of her joy at his coming. It was with so great a rush of blissful surprise that she now found herself suddenly caught up into his arms, that she clung closely to his neck for one joyful instant, and then burst into a passion of weeping. "There, there," her lover said, caressing her; "don't cry, Milly. I've been a brute, and I know it; but if you'll forgive me this time I'll see that you never need to again." He moved toward a chair as he spoke, half carrying her in his arms. In her excitement she loosened her hold upon the roll of money, which was still in her hand, and the bills were scattered on the floor behind him as he walked. He sat down and took her in his lap, stroking her hair and soothing her as well as he was able. By a strong effort she controlled herself, dried her tears, and sat up, half laughing. "I'm getting to be dreadful teary," she said. "I"-- "What in the world," he interrupted her in amazement, "is that on the floor?" She turned and saw the money, and burst into a peal of laughter. Springing down from his knee, she ran and gathered up the bills in her two hands; then, dancing up to him, half wild with delight, her cheeks flushed, her eyes shining, she scattered the precious bits of green paper fantastically over his head and shoulders. "'Take, oh take, the rosy, rosy crown!'" She sang, in the very abandonment of gayety. "Are you gone crazy?" he demanded, clutching the floating bills, and then catching her about the waist. "You act like a witch! Where did all this money come from? The savings-bank?" "No," she returned, becoming quiet, and nestling close to him. "The Lord sent it by the hand of your brother Orin." It was some time before John could be made to understand the whole story; and when it had been told, he instantly leaped to the conclusion that the whole credit of Orin's getting the commission belonged of right to Milly, a conviction in which he remained steadfast despite all her disclaimers. At last she gave up protesting, and shut his mouth with a kiss. Since John, as well as Orin, thought so, she felt that her part must have been more important than she had realized; but she was too modest to bear so much praise. "John," she said at length, "I have something awful to confess. I've been keeping a secret from you." "I'm afraid I've been too much of a bear for it to have been safe to tell me," returned her lover, smiling. His own heart was filled with the double joy of reconciliation, and of having brought it about himself by a manly confession of his fault. "It wasn't that at all," she protested. "It was because I wasn't sure about it; and then I wanted to surprise you if I got it." "Got what? You speak as if it was the smallpox. Is it anything catching?"