"Do you remember what we were all saying a short time ago, about Fate?" "Certainly; but are you going to favor me with a dissertation on Fate, instead of making a fool of yourself?" "No!" was the solemn reply, "have a little patience, Cyn. The fact is, you are my Fate--there is no mistake about it!--and must be either cruel or kind, and there's no alternative!" Cyn's surprise increased visibly. "I am sure, I do not understand you at all! how queer you are to-day, Jo!" "Of course I am queer! when a man throws his theories and hobbies to the winds, and confesses himself conquered, he is apt to be queer, is he not? Can you not understand, that I, Jo Norton, who have always scoffed at sentiment, and proudly declared myself incapable of being the victim of love, am ready--yes, and longing!--to make as big a fool of myself as the veriest spooniest youth in existence, and all for love of you, Cyn?" To this exceedingly novel declaration of love, Cyn responded by releasing the bough she held, and staring at him with distended eyes and a perfectly blank face; for once in her life, speechless. "I told you I was going to astonish you," said Jo, quaintly, in answer to her prolonged stare, "and I do not wonder that you cannot believe I really love you! I did not myself, for a long time, and I would not after I knew it! But it is a fact. No joke--no mistake, but a sober, serious fact! I love you, love you, love you!" Jo's voice grew very fervent, as he uttered these last words, and was in such striking contrast to his ordinary manner, that Cyn could but see that this was indeed, "no joke." "You--you love--and _love me!_" she gasped. "Yes, I could not help it! I have only known it within a few days, but I think I have loved you ever since we first met, only those confounded theories of mine blinded me." "Well--but what are you going to do about it?" questioned Cyn, unable yet to recover from her bewilderment. Jo looked at her, wistfully. "I know I am homely, Cyn, and I am poor; I have nothing to offer you but an honest, loving and true heart. I suppose a man who is in love is naturally unreasonable--I never was in love before, you know--but an extravagant hope will whisper to me, that even this little might not be unappreciated by you." And as he spoke, Jo's face was so transfigured that it could no longer be called plain. Cyn gazed at him in wonder, and recovering partly from her first surprise, an unusual seriousness came over her own handsome face, as she answered earnestly, "It is not unappreciated! oh, no, Jo! Nothing to offer me but an honest, loving and true heart, you say? why, that is everything!" "Then will you accept it? May I try and win your love?" he asked eagerly, advancing close to her. "I will work very hard to make myself worthy of it, and to win a name you need not be ashamed to bear. I lay myself, my life at your feet, Cyn." "And this is unsentimental Jo!" Cyn exclaimed involuntarily.