"Yes," said Ladybird, "I _love_ them. I love Aunt Dorinda best; but I love Aunt Priscilla most." "I should like to know them," said Humphreys. "Can't you take me in and introduce me to them?" "I will pretty soon," said Ladybird; "but first I want to settle about Stella." "What is this Stella story, anyhow, you ridiculous child? Do your aunts know you wrote that letter to Governor Hyde?" "No," said Ladybird, seriously, "they don't. If they had they wouldn't have let me write it. You see, everything I've tried to do to help Stella they scolded me about it, and told me I mustn't do it, and that it was none of my affair. Now it _is_ my affair, for Stella is my friend; and what can be more your affair than your friend?" "Nothing," said Humphreys, seeing that an answer was demanded of him. "No, of course not. And so I thought, and I thought; and I decided this was the only way to do it; and I was sure the governor would send somebody nice, because my aunties say he is such a nice man." "But tell me about Stella; I don't understand it all yet." "Well, you see," said Ladybird, "Stella is the beautifulest, loveliest, angelest girl in the whole world, and she has a horrid old grandfather and grandmother who want her to marry Charley Hayes, and Charley Hayes is horrid too. And Stella doesn't love him, but she doesn't hate him as much as I do." "I should hope not, if she's going to marry him," said Humphreys. "But she thinks she's got to marry him," went on Ladybird, "because her grandparents say she must, and because there isn't anybody else in Plainville that would be any better." "And must she marry somebody?" "Well, she doesn't want to marry anybody; but old Mr. and Mrs. Marshall say she's got to. And I mean that I can't find anybody better for her in Plainville, and so that's why I wrote to the governor; and I'm glad he sent you, for you're ever so much handsomer than Charley Hayes, and I really think you'll do very nicely." "My dear little girl," said Humphreys, "you must get that notion out of your head. I told you in my letter that I did not come down in the interests of the fair Stella, but to see you." "Why did you want to see me?" said Ladybird, her big eyes wide with bewilderment. "Because I wanted to know what kind of a child it was who wrote that letter." "And the governor didn't send you?" cried Ladybird. "No, of course the governor didn't send me." "Oh, well, it's all the same," she said airily; "you came because I wrote that letter to the governor, so it doesn't make any difference. And you'll have to marry Stella, you know, because that's what I sent for you for. You aren't married to anybody else, are you?" "No, of course not," said the young man. "Then that's all right; and Stella is so sweet and beautiful you won't mind it a bit."